James Thomson
@jamesthomson.bsky.social
Indie iOS / Mac developer from Glasgow, Scotland. Maker of the PCalc scientific calculator, and a cool dice app. Occasional writer, conference speaker, D&D player, and podcast pundit.
Pinned
James Thomson
@jamesthomson.bsky.social
· Mar 27
Dice by PCalc 2.8 is out now (finally)!
This release adds support for iOS 18 and macOS 15, including Control Center buttons, and dark icons.
There’s also a new picker which makes it easier to see all the visual options for dice in one place.
iOS:
pcalc.com/store/dice
Mac:
pcalc.com/store/dicemac
This release adds support for iOS 18 and macOS 15, including Control Center buttons, and dark icons.
There’s also a new picker which makes it easier to see all the visual options for dice in one place.
iOS:
pcalc.com/store/dice
Mac:
pcalc.com/store/dicemac
Computers didn’t pass the Turing Test, humans failed it.
October 2, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Computers didn’t pass the Turing Test, humans failed it.
Reposted by James Thomson
Going live again, streaming Mass Effect 3 for the kids!
Come hang out, and donate to a great cause. We’ll be joined by the wonderful @jamesthomson.bsky.social and @kathycampbell.com (and *baby Charlie!*) as guests during this stream!
mvo.live
Come hang out, and donate to a great cause. We’ll be joined by the wonderful @jamesthomson.bsky.social and @kathycampbell.com (and *baby Charlie!*) as guests during this stream!
mvo.live
Tiltify - Made for Fundraisers
We give you the tools to engage with your donors and raise more for your charity
mvo.live
September 24, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Going live again, streaming Mass Effect 3 for the kids!
Come hang out, and donate to a great cause. We’ll be joined by the wonderful @jamesthomson.bsky.social and @kathycampbell.com (and *baby Charlie!*) as guests during this stream!
mvo.live
Come hang out, and donate to a great cause. We’ll be joined by the wonderful @jamesthomson.bsky.social and @kathycampbell.com (and *baby Charlie!*) as guests during this stream!
mvo.live
PCalc 3.14 - the π release! - is now out for iOS, iPadOS, visionOS, watchOS & tvOS 26:
pcalc.com/store/pcalc
As well as full support for iPadOS 26 multitasking, there's a new default dark theme, a Control Center button, and a completely reworked set of alternative icons, including dark variants.
pcalc.com/store/pcalc
As well as full support for iPadOS 26 multitasking, there's a new default dark theme, a Control Center button, and a completely reworked set of alternative icons, including dark variants.
September 13, 2025 at 12:09 AM
PCalc 3.14 - the π release! - is now out for iOS, iPadOS, visionOS, watchOS & tvOS 26:
pcalc.com/store/pcalc
As well as full support for iPadOS 26 multitasking, there's a new default dark theme, a Control Center button, and a completely reworked set of alternative icons, including dark variants.
pcalc.com/store/pcalc
As well as full support for iPadOS 26 multitasking, there's a new default dark theme, a Control Center button, and a completely reworked set of alternative icons, including dark variants.
There's a selection of new Dice by PCalc pride shirts on my merch store, and I'm donating my profits from them to local queer charities. Why not treat yourself on this last day of June?
pcalc.fun
pcalc.fun
June 30, 2025 at 8:24 PM
There's a selection of new Dice by PCalc pride shirts on my merch store, and I'm donating my profits from them to local queer charities. Why not treat yourself on this last day of June?
pcalc.fun
pcalc.fun
I've added some new Dice by PCalc t-shirt designs to the PCalc merch store! All my profits from them will go to local queer charities.
pcalc.fun
pcalc.fun
June 10, 2025 at 2:18 PM
I've added some new Dice by PCalc t-shirt designs to the PCalc merch store! All my profits from them will go to local queer charities.
pcalc.fun
pcalc.fun
I like that when I spend points on the Kobo website, I get an email entitled "Congratulations on your redemption!”.
If I had known it was that easy…
If I had known it was that easy…
June 2, 2025 at 2:27 PM
I like that when I spend points on the Kobo website, I get an email entitled "Congratulations on your redemption!”.
If I had known it was that easy…
If I had known it was that easy…
Has anybody asked Darth Vader in Fortnite what his summer reading list for 2025 is?
May 20, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Has anybody asked Darth Vader in Fortnite what his summer reading list for 2025 is?
I’m not saying they've delayed this to strip out all the out-of-date satire of the US, but I’m not not saying that.
www.theverge.com/news/660057/...
www.theverge.com/news/660057/...
Grand Theft Auto VI release delayed to May 2026
You’ll need to wait a little longer for GTA 6
www.theverge.com
May 2, 2025 at 12:26 PM
I’m not saying they've delayed this to strip out all the out-of-date satire of the US, but I’m not not saying that.
www.theverge.com/news/660057/...
www.theverge.com/news/660057/...
Given all that is happening in the world, it seems wrong to complain that Ticketmaster messed up the presale for the @dropout.tv live show in Glasgow. And yet, here we are.
April 30, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Given all that is happening in the world, it seems wrong to complain that Ticketmaster messed up the presale for the @dropout.tv live show in Glasgow. And yet, here we are.
If you are in the UK please consider signing this petition to get the UK parliament to at least debate making things easier for trans folks.
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...
Petition: Allow transgender people to self-identify their legal gender.
We believe the government should change legislation to make it easier for trans people of all ages to change their legal gender without an official diagnosis of gender dysphoria.
petition.parliament.uk
April 20, 2025 at 9:59 PM
If you are in the UK please consider signing this petition to get the UK parliament to at least debate making things easier for trans folks.
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...
A small update to my #ttrpg dice rolling app.
Dice by PCalc 2.8.1 fixes a problem with the display being black at startup, but the theme picker now also shows which dice support multiple tint colours (eg, the Six Colors or pride flag tints).
iOS:
pcalc.com/store/dice
Mac:
pcalc.com/store/dicemac
Dice by PCalc 2.8.1 fixes a problem with the display being black at startup, but the theme picker now also shows which dice support multiple tint colours (eg, the Six Colors or pride flag tints).
iOS:
pcalc.com/store/dice
Mac:
pcalc.com/store/dicemac
April 8, 2025 at 1:49 PM
A small update to my #ttrpg dice rolling app.
Dice by PCalc 2.8.1 fixes a problem with the display being black at startup, but the theme picker now also shows which dice support multiple tint colours (eg, the Six Colors or pride flag tints).
iOS:
pcalc.com/store/dice
Mac:
pcalc.com/store/dicemac
Dice by PCalc 2.8.1 fixes a problem with the display being black at startup, but the theme picker now also shows which dice support multiple tint colours (eg, the Six Colors or pride flag tints).
iOS:
pcalc.com/store/dice
Mac:
pcalc.com/store/dicemac
Getting old is your 20yo tongue scraper breaking, and ordering multiple replacements to find something anywhere near as good as the old one.
Also, realising you grew up in a bubble of peace and progressive values that's left you unprepared for the rise of fascism.
Mostly the tongue scraper thing.
Also, realising you grew up in a bubble of peace and progressive values that's left you unprepared for the rise of fascism.
Mostly the tongue scraper thing.
April 6, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Getting old is your 20yo tongue scraper breaking, and ordering multiple replacements to find something anywhere near as good as the old one.
Also, realising you grew up in a bubble of peace and progressive values that's left you unprepared for the rise of fascism.
Mostly the tongue scraper thing.
Also, realising you grew up in a bubble of peace and progressive values that's left you unprepared for the rise of fascism.
Mostly the tongue scraper thing.
Dice by PCalc 2.8 is out now (finally)!
This release adds support for iOS 18 and macOS 15, including Control Center buttons, and dark icons.
There’s also a new picker which makes it easier to see all the visual options for dice in one place.
iOS:
pcalc.com/store/dice
Mac:
pcalc.com/store/dicemac
This release adds support for iOS 18 and macOS 15, including Control Center buttons, and dark icons.
There’s also a new picker which makes it easier to see all the visual options for dice in one place.
iOS:
pcalc.com/store/dice
Mac:
pcalc.com/store/dicemac
March 27, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Dice by PCalc 2.8 is out now (finally)!
This release adds support for iOS 18 and macOS 15, including Control Center buttons, and dark icons.
There’s also a new picker which makes it easier to see all the visual options for dice in one place.
iOS:
pcalc.com/store/dice
Mac:
pcalc.com/store/dicemac
This release adds support for iOS 18 and macOS 15, including Control Center buttons, and dark icons.
There’s also a new picker which makes it easier to see all the visual options for dice in one place.
iOS:
pcalc.com/store/dice
Mac:
pcalc.com/store/dicemac
A pleasure to meet both Sam Béart and @davejones.actor today, they were both lovely people!
I gave Dave a Pascal the Panda pin, and was pleased to realise later he was wearing it for the rest of the day (zoom and enhance).
I gave Dave a Pascal the Panda pin, and was pleased to realise later he was wearing it for the rest of the day (zoom and enhance).
March 9, 2025 at 1:17 AM
A pleasure to meet both Sam Béart and @davejones.actor today, they were both lovely people!
I gave Dave a Pascal the Panda pin, and was pleased to realise later he was wearing it for the rest of the day (zoom and enhance).
I gave Dave a Pascal the Panda pin, and was pleased to realise later he was wearing it for the rest of the day (zoom and enhance).
A bold new direction for the character, and I wish her well.
February 14, 2025 at 4:23 PM
A bold new direction for the character, and I wish her well.
The Hugo award nominations are open, and you can bet every single thing I’m going to nominate will be queer as hell.
February 12, 2025 at 1:59 PM
The Hugo award nominations are open, and you can bet every single thing I’m going to nominate will be queer as hell.
On top of everything else, my sympathies to the satirists.
February 12, 2025 at 1:51 PM
On top of everything else, my sympathies to the satirists.
I'm a big fan of @aliettedebodard.com’s writing, but she's been going through a rough time recently.
If you have some spare funds, and want to do something nice for someone who writes excellent and inclusive sf/fantasy, @paulcornell.bsky.social has set up a GoFundMe to help her:
gofund.me/f70348bd
If you have some spare funds, and want to do something nice for someone who writes excellent and inclusive sf/fantasy, @paulcornell.bsky.social has set up a GoFundMe to help her:
gofund.me/f70348bd
Donate to Helping Aliette, organized by Paul Cornell
Our friend Aliette de Bodard is going through some awful times right now, and we seek to provide her some… Paul Cornell needs your support for Helping Aliette
gofund.me
February 8, 2025 at 6:42 PM
I'm a big fan of @aliettedebodard.com’s writing, but she's been going through a rough time recently.
If you have some spare funds, and want to do something nice for someone who writes excellent and inclusive sf/fantasy, @paulcornell.bsky.social has set up a GoFundMe to help her:
gofund.me/f70348bd
If you have some spare funds, and want to do something nice for someone who writes excellent and inclusive sf/fantasy, @paulcornell.bsky.social has set up a GoFundMe to help her:
gofund.me/f70348bd
Really not the most important problem in the world right now, but @netgalley.bsky.social have changed their download format, so Kobo e-readers are no longer supported.
They suggest using the new NetGalley Reader app, but I can't read books off a screen due to my eye problems. This sucks.
They suggest using the new NetGalley Reader app, but I can't read books off a screen due to my eye problems. This sucks.
February 3, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Really not the most important problem in the world right now, but @netgalley.bsky.social have changed their download format, so Kobo e-readers are no longer supported.
They suggest using the new NetGalley Reader app, but I can't read books off a screen due to my eye problems. This sucks.
They suggest using the new NetGalley Reader app, but I can't read books off a screen due to my eye problems. This sucks.
Now is a great time to enthusiastically confirm your support for LGBTQ+ rights - particularly those of trans and enby folks at the moment - and the rights of women, BIPOC communities, and anybody else that the new US administration is actively trying to oppress.
January 22, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Now is a great time to enthusiastically confirm your support for LGBTQ+ rights - particularly those of trans and enby folks at the moment - and the rights of women, BIPOC communities, and anybody else that the new US administration is actively trying to oppress.
Ah yes, that is definitely the most important story of the day on the BBC.
January 20, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Ah yes, that is definitely the most important story of the day on the BBC.
Doomscrolling is emotional self-harm. Maybe find a healthier way of dealing with today.
January 20, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Doomscrolling is emotional self-harm. Maybe find a healthier way of dealing with today.
I can’t remember the last time I saw a tadpole.
January 19, 2025 at 1:35 AM
I can’t remember the last time I saw a tadpole.
Most of our PCalc merch is on sale today - if you use the code FLASHSALEFRIDAY at checkout, you'll get 20% off everything (except pins).
Cotton Bureau tells me this is a Severance-related promotion, so uh, buy some for your waffle party? I don't know.
pcalc.fun
Cotton Bureau tells me this is a Severance-related promotion, so uh, buy some for your waffle party? I don't know.
pcalc.fun
TLA Systems
| Cotton Bureau
TLA Systems are the makers of PCalc, the scientific calculator app.
pcalc.fun
January 17, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Most of our PCalc merch is on sale today - if you use the code FLASHSALEFRIDAY at checkout, you'll get 20% off everything (except pins).
Cotton Bureau tells me this is a Severance-related promotion, so uh, buy some for your waffle party? I don't know.
pcalc.fun
Cotton Bureau tells me this is a Severance-related promotion, so uh, buy some for your waffle party? I don't know.
pcalc.fun
If somebody could tell me which deity I have pissed off, that would be very helpful, because I’ve had just about enough smiting now.
January 6, 2025 at 3:18 PM
If somebody could tell me which deity I have pissed off, that would be very helpful, because I’ve had just about enough smiting now.