Andy Toone
@lockfarm.bsky.social
Petabytes in my day job, kilobytes in my spare time.
Maker of Beasts - https://feersumbeasts.com/ 8-bit Z80 kit
Technologist, cynical optimist, occasional CTO, regular tinkerer.
Rural hideout in UK
Maker of Beasts - https://feersumbeasts.com/ 8-bit Z80 kit
Technologist, cynical optimist, occasional CTO, regular tinkerer.
Rural hideout in UK
Pinned
Andy Toone
@lockfarm.bsky.social
· Oct 18
You're meant to share the work you're doing..
I'm particularly bad at that, and somewhat overwhelmed with stuff..
..at which point I'm meant to end on a positive note and a call to action, but really, that's the post. That's it.
I'm particularly bad at that, and somewhat overwhelmed with stuff..
..at which point I'm meant to end on a positive note and a call to action, but really, that's the post. That's it.
I remembered to take a photo of my own exhibit, but spent most of the weekend having great chats with visitors and other exhibitors and completely forgot to take any other photos.
A really excellent weekend at @computinghistory.org.uk thanks to @heredragons.be
Boing Ball on a ZXSpectrum!
A really excellent weekend at @computinghistory.org.uk thanks to @heredragons.be
Boing Ball on a ZXSpectrum!
November 16, 2025 at 10:31 PM
I remembered to take a photo of my own exhibit, but spent most of the weekend having great chats with visitors and other exhibitors and completely forgot to take any other photos.
A really excellent weekend at @computinghistory.org.uk thanks to @heredragons.be
Boing Ball on a ZXSpectrum!
A really excellent weekend at @computinghistory.org.uk thanks to @heredragons.be
Boing Ball on a ZXSpectrum!
Seems like a logic fail to me.
Industries have seen jobs destroyed as we have progressed..
..therefore if we destroy jobs we must be progressing?
That's a very odd assumption to make.
Industries have seen jobs destroyed as we have progressed..
..therefore if we destroy jobs we must be progressing?
That's a very odd assumption to make.
Creative destruction is part of progress. We no longer have telephone operators, but calls are now cheaper and faster.
My @morningjoe-msnbc.bsky.social Chart
My @morningjoe-msnbc.bsky.social Chart
November 14, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Seems like a logic fail to me.
Industries have seen jobs destroyed as we have progressed..
..therefore if we destroy jobs we must be progressing?
That's a very odd assumption to make.
Industries have seen jobs destroyed as we have progressed..
..therefore if we destroy jobs we must be progressing?
That's a very odd assumption to make.
The best response to Trump's legal threat against the BBC would be an hour long programme exclusively quoting his most ridiculous claims and promises.
Nowhere in the hysterical pile-on against the BBC in the British press has anyone mentioned that BBC News now has 77 million viewers & listeners in the US and has established itself as the second most trusted news source there.
November 11, 2025 at 8:47 AM
The best response to Trump's legal threat against the BBC would be an hour long programme exclusively quoting his most ridiculous claims and promises.
The feersumbeasts.com website is now back up (let me know if you experience any problems!), with a new low price for the MicroBeast kit - only £150 for a complete standalone Z80 computer!
Feersum Beasts
Brand new old computers, kits and projects. More than just 8 bits.
feersumbeasts.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:41 PM
The feersumbeasts.com website is now back up (let me know if you experience any problems!), with a new low price for the MicroBeast kit - only £150 for a complete standalone Z80 computer!
By the way. Toyota must be grinding their teeth right now.
"Hey boss, you know that walking chair we made?"
"Yeah?"
"They keep calling it a wheelchair. THERE ARE NO WHEELS! It's specifically NOT a wheelchair."
"Hey boss, you know that walking chair we made?"
"Yeah?"
"They keep calling it a wheelchair. THERE ARE NO WHEELS! It's specifically NOT a wheelchair."
Apple, Tesla, Google, Amazon: "Look at us, we're worth trillions! We're going to spend it all on dominating the market!"
Toyota: "What if we made it easier to get around?"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzD9...
Toyota: "What if we made it easier to get around?"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzD9...
Toyota’s “Walk Me” Wheelchair Walks on Legs and Climbs Stairs – The Future of Mobility Is Here
YouTube video by DPCcars
www.youtube.com
November 8, 2025 at 3:12 PM
By the way. Toyota must be grinding their teeth right now.
"Hey boss, you know that walking chair we made?"
"Yeah?"
"They keep calling it a wheelchair. THERE ARE NO WHEELS! It's specifically NOT a wheelchair."
"Hey boss, you know that walking chair we made?"
"Yeah?"
"They keep calling it a wheelchair. THERE ARE NO WHEELS! It's specifically NOT a wheelchair."
Apple, Tesla, Google, Amazon: "Look at us, we're worth trillions! We're going to spend it all on dominating the market!"
Toyota: "What if we made it easier to get around?"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzD9...
Toyota: "What if we made it easier to get around?"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzD9...
Toyota’s “Walk Me” Wheelchair Walks on Legs and Climbs Stairs – The Future of Mobility Is Here
YouTube video by DPCcars
www.youtube.com
November 8, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Apple, Tesla, Google, Amazon: "Look at us, we're worth trillions! We're going to spend it all on dominating the market!"
Toyota: "What if we made it easier to get around?"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzD9...
Toyota: "What if we made it easier to get around?"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzD9...
The world right now is like a Road Runner cartoon where Wile E Coyote has run off the cliff... and is inexplicably still just running.
We can all see there's nothing supporting these people. When do we get the satisfying comeuppance?
We can all see there's nothing supporting these people. When do we get the satisfying comeuppance?
a cartoon coyote is flying through the air with a yellow background
Alt: a cartoon coyote is flying through the air with a yellow background
media.tenor.com
November 7, 2025 at 10:14 PM
The world right now is like a Road Runner cartoon where Wile E Coyote has run off the cliff... and is inexplicably still just running.
We can all see there's nothing supporting these people. When do we get the satisfying comeuppance?
We can all see there's nothing supporting these people. When do we get the satisfying comeuppance?
An interestingly capitalistic take on Darwinian evolution.
If these people are daft enough to believe the hype, taking their money and spending it on actually useful (but less exciting) projects is a social good?
"I took all your money and spent it on 8-bit computers"
Works for me.
If these people are daft enough to believe the hype, taking their money and spending it on actually useful (but less exciting) projects is a social good?
"I took all your money and spent it on 8-bit computers"
Works for me.
if you believe fully autonomous robot butlers are just over the horizon you are actually one of the dumbest motherfuckers alive and we should take your money from you so we can put it towards something worthwhile
November 7, 2025 at 4:36 PM
An interestingly capitalistic take on Darwinian evolution.
If these people are daft enough to believe the hype, taking their money and spending it on actually useful (but less exciting) projects is a social good?
"I took all your money and spent it on 8-bit computers"
Works for me.
If these people are daft enough to believe the hype, taking their money and spending it on actually useful (but less exciting) projects is a social good?
"I took all your money and spent it on 8-bit computers"
Works for me.
OK, sitrep. Remarkably, despite my best attempts to turn the server into a smoking ruin, a full system backup has brought things back to life. Websites are back and I've only wasted a couple of days on this mess.
The server is still EOL, but for the moment it is at least.. serving.
The server is still EOL, but for the moment it is at least.. serving.
I may... or may not have just killed my server.
This could be a lot of hard work to fix.
This could be a lot of hard work to fix.
November 5, 2025 at 10:17 PM
OK, sitrep. Remarkably, despite my best attempts to turn the server into a smoking ruin, a full system backup has brought things back to life. Websites are back and I've only wasted a couple of days on this mess.
The server is still EOL, but for the moment it is at least.. serving.
The server is still EOL, but for the moment it is at least.. serving.
For reference, I'm not pressing *that* button again.
Server failure:
My websites:
feertech.com
feersumbeasts.com
uavtoolbox.com
Are currently down, and emails to these domains will be delayed or fail. This is due to a server failure I'm working to resolve.
Please bear with me. MicroBeast kits will ship as normal.
My websites:
feertech.com
feersumbeasts.com
uavtoolbox.com
Are currently down, and emails to these domains will be delayed or fail. This is due to a server failure I'm working to resolve.
Please bear with me. MicroBeast kits will ship as normal.
November 5, 2025 at 10:29 AM
For reference, I'm not pressing *that* button again.
Server failure:
My websites:
feertech.com
feersumbeasts.com
uavtoolbox.com
Are currently down, and emails to these domains will be delayed or fail. This is due to a server failure I'm working to resolve.
Please bear with me. MicroBeast kits will ship as normal.
My websites:
feertech.com
feersumbeasts.com
uavtoolbox.com
Are currently down, and emails to these domains will be delayed or fail. This is due to a server failure I'm working to resolve.
Please bear with me. MicroBeast kits will ship as normal.
November 5, 2025 at 8:07 AM
Server failure:
My websites:
feertech.com
feersumbeasts.com
uavtoolbox.com
Are currently down, and emails to these domains will be delayed or fail. This is due to a server failure I'm working to resolve.
Please bear with me. MicroBeast kits will ship as normal.
My websites:
feertech.com
feersumbeasts.com
uavtoolbox.com
Are currently down, and emails to these domains will be delayed or fail. This is due to a server failure I'm working to resolve.
Please bear with me. MicroBeast kits will ship as normal.
I may... or may not have just killed my server.
This could be a lot of hard work to fix.
This could be a lot of hard work to fix.
November 4, 2025 at 9:36 PM
I may... or may not have just killed my server.
This could be a lot of hard work to fix.
This could be a lot of hard work to fix.
It's almost like it's specifically designed to derail the "out of the box" thinkers who rush to adopt new technology trends to get ahead of the rest.
If you know someone who's all in on Bitcoin, bought NTFs, or spends time in the Metaverse, it might be time to touch base and see how they're doing.
If you know someone who's all in on Bitcoin, bought NTFs, or spends time in the Metaverse, it might be time to touch base and see how they're doing.
Good shit. Terrifying, but good. youtu.be/VRjgNgJms3Q?...
ChatGPT made me delusional
YouTube video by Eddy Burback
youtu.be
November 3, 2025 at 1:27 PM
It's almost like it's specifically designed to derail the "out of the box" thinkers who rush to adopt new technology trends to get ahead of the rest.
If you know someone who's all in on Bitcoin, bought NTFs, or spends time in the Metaverse, it might be time to touch base and see how they're doing.
If you know someone who's all in on Bitcoin, bought NTFs, or spends time in the Metaverse, it might be time to touch base and see how they're doing.
I can only last two minutes on X.
We have a Flat Earth problem. You can provide better information, more resources and back it with evidence, yet a portion of the population will instinctively distrust you and actively seek out half baked theories which they become emotionally invested in defending
We have a Flat Earth problem. You can provide better information, more resources and back it with evidence, yet a portion of the population will instinctively distrust you and actively seek out half baked theories which they become emotionally invested in defending
November 3, 2025 at 8:39 AM
I can only last two minutes on X.
We have a Flat Earth problem. You can provide better information, more resources and back it with evidence, yet a portion of the population will instinctively distrust you and actively seek out half baked theories which they become emotionally invested in defending
We have a Flat Earth problem. You can provide better information, more resources and back it with evidence, yet a portion of the population will instinctively distrust you and actively seek out half baked theories which they become emotionally invested in defending
Eeek! I'm not panicing!
It's going to be a great weekend :)
It's going to be a great weekend :)
It's just two weeks to go! Come meet the developers - meet the people who coded for all our favourite systems back in the day, and many who still do - and can teach us all a trick or two! Let's look at all the platforms ...
November 1, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Eeek! I'm not panicing!
It's going to be a great weekend :)
It's going to be a great weekend :)
With Reeves' recent breaking of rental rules, most seem to be focussing on how serious the breech was.
Are any MPs going to suggest the whole system has chronic bureaucratic bloat caused by a succession of governments that only ever add more and more rules to no useful end and significant cost?
Are any MPs going to suggest the whole system has chronic bureaucratic bloat caused by a succession of governments that only ever add more and more rules to no useful end and significant cost?
October 30, 2025 at 11:26 PM
With Reeves' recent breaking of rental rules, most seem to be focussing on how serious the breech was.
Are any MPs going to suggest the whole system has chronic bureaucratic bloat caused by a succession of governments that only ever add more and more rules to no useful end and significant cost?
Are any MPs going to suggest the whole system has chronic bureaucratic bloat caused by a succession of governments that only ever add more and more rules to no useful end and significant cost?
Nine months ago I was saying "Perhaps relying on a handful of American cloud providers is a bad idea"... silence.
Then AWS, and Azure go down within a few weeks of each other.
All the big pundits: "Hey guys, I've just thought that relying on a handful of American cloud providers is a bad idea".
Then AWS, and Azure go down within a few weeks of each other.
All the big pundits: "Hey guys, I've just thought that relying on a handful of American cloud providers is a bad idea".
October 30, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Nine months ago I was saying "Perhaps relying on a handful of American cloud providers is a bad idea"... silence.
Then AWS, and Azure go down within a few weeks of each other.
All the big pundits: "Hey guys, I've just thought that relying on a handful of American cloud providers is a bad idea".
Then AWS, and Azure go down within a few weeks of each other.
All the big pundits: "Hey guys, I've just thought that relying on a handful of American cloud providers is a bad idea".
A genuine question for those in media.
Is the current failure of journalists to confront dishonest responses from politicians and public figures a libel law thing, a fear of being denied access, a cherry picking of interviewers, or just a lack of subject knowledge in reporters?
Is the current failure of journalists to confront dishonest responses from politicians and public figures a libel law thing, a fear of being denied access, a cherry picking of interviewers, or just a lack of subject knowledge in reporters?
October 28, 2025 at 5:32 PM
A genuine question for those in media.
Is the current failure of journalists to confront dishonest responses from politicians and public figures a libel law thing, a fear of being denied access, a cherry picking of interviewers, or just a lack of subject knowledge in reporters?
Is the current failure of journalists to confront dishonest responses from politicians and public figures a libel law thing, a fear of being denied access, a cherry picking of interviewers, or just a lack of subject knowledge in reporters?
Having an LGBT+ friend who was in the armed forces, this is overdue but welcome. The accounts of abuse and discrimination are shameful.
King unveils new memorial to LGBT+ veterans after gay ban campaign
King unveils new memorial to LGBT veterans after gay ban campaign
A memorial is unveiled dedicated to gay military personnel and to those who served during the armed forces gay ban.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 28, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Having an LGBT+ friend who was in the armed forces, this is overdue but welcome. The accounts of abuse and discrimination are shameful.
I have a 16GB PC.
Chrome is using 4GB
It tells me 82% of my memory is "in use".
That means ~9GB - over half - of my computer's memory is being used by random crap, most of which provides no benefit whatsoever.
(Yeah, Windows)
Chrome is using 4GB
It tells me 82% of my memory is "in use".
That means ~9GB - over half - of my computer's memory is being used by random crap, most of which provides no benefit whatsoever.
(Yeah, Windows)
October 28, 2025 at 8:56 AM
I have a 16GB PC.
Chrome is using 4GB
It tells me 82% of my memory is "in use".
That means ~9GB - over half - of my computer's memory is being used by random crap, most of which provides no benefit whatsoever.
(Yeah, Windows)
Chrome is using 4GB
It tells me 82% of my memory is "in use".
That means ~9GB - over half - of my computer's memory is being used by random crap, most of which provides no benefit whatsoever.
(Yeah, Windows)
Adverts should be representative of traditional British families
October 27, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Adverts should be representative of traditional British families
When I'm in the zone programming, this is what's going on in my head.
makes me weep to think of the gifts robbed from us because unaffordable housing has made it difficult for people to pursue their passions and hobbies
October 26, 2025 at 10:06 PM
When I'm in the zone programming, this is what's going on in my head.
Frustrating that the small income I get from selling MicroBeasts just about covers the cost of my accountant checking the small income I get from selling MicroBeasts.
Back to square one on the project fund, but we can keep on going...
Back to square one on the project fund, but we can keep on going...
October 25, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Frustrating that the small income I get from selling MicroBeasts just about covers the cost of my accountant checking the small income I get from selling MicroBeasts.
Back to square one on the project fund, but we can keep on going...
Back to square one on the project fund, but we can keep on going...
Today's moment of joy to lift the mood.
Watching Ed Gamble's barely controlled delight as he watches Faithfulls discover who the Traitors are.
Watching Ed Gamble's barely controlled delight as he watches Faithfulls discover who the Traitors are.
October 23, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Today's moment of joy to lift the mood.
Watching Ed Gamble's barely controlled delight as he watches Faithfulls discover who the Traitors are.
Watching Ed Gamble's barely controlled delight as he watches Faithfulls discover who the Traitors are.
Who hasn't accidentally demolished the East Wing of their house? (I'd give that a moment...)
October 22, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Who hasn't accidentally demolished the East Wing of their house? (I'd give that a moment...)