Isofarro
@isofarro.com
Full-stack engineer, ex-news-junkie, ZX Spectrum & Amstrad CPC retro-gamer, chess. Built the ZOE Covid Symptom Study app. I like muffins.
#chesspunks #retrogamer #helloself
#chesspunks #retrogamer #helloself
@wizwords.bsky.social, reading your Spectrum article in this month's Retro Gamer. A fascinating read, nice touches of tech detail.
I loved the info that Incentive reverse-engineered Sandy White's I, of Mask for their Freescape engine. On the shoulders of giants!
Marvellous! #zxspectrum #retrogamer
I loved the info that Incentive reverse-engineered Sandy White's I, of Mask for their Freescape engine. On the shoulders of giants!
Marvellous! #zxspectrum #retrogamer
May 21, 2025 at 8:24 PM
@wizwords.bsky.social, reading your Spectrum article in this month's Retro Gamer. A fascinating read, nice touches of tech detail.
I loved the info that Incentive reverse-engineered Sandy White's I, of Mask for their Freescape engine. On the shoulders of giants!
Marvellous! #zxspectrum #retrogamer
I loved the info that Incentive reverse-engineered Sandy White's I, of Mask for their Freescape engine. On the shoulders of giants!
Marvellous! #zxspectrum #retrogamer
eBay auction prices seem to be broken these days. The price of an auction item on a search list is different from the price on the listing page itself.
Even worse, when you go to put in a bid, there's another two different prices on the same item, which makes incremental bidding a running joke.
Even worse, when you go to put in a bid, there's another two different prices on the same item, which makes incremental bidding a running joke.
March 13, 2025 at 3:41 PM
eBay auction prices seem to be broken these days. The price of an auction item on a search list is different from the price on the listing page itself.
Even worse, when you go to put in a bid, there's another two different prices on the same item, which makes incremental bidding a running joke.
Even worse, when you go to put in a bid, there's another two different prices on the same item, which makes incremental bidding a running joke.
Reposted by Isofarro
This is a delightful and insightful interview but for pity's sake LEAVE THE MAN ALONE HE NEEDS TO FOCUS!
Rifling Through the Archives With Legendary Historian Robert Caro
Reams of papers, revealing how the scholar came to write his iconic biographies of Robert Moses and Lyndon B. Johnson, are preserved forever in New York. But his work is far from over
www.smithsonianmag.com
February 19, 2025 at 8:01 AM
This is a delightful and insightful interview but for pity's sake LEAVE THE MAN ALONE HE NEEDS TO FOCUS!
Chess 960 is basically 959 starting chess positions that don't have 400 years of opening evolution.
It's a thought experiment: Given our modern chess understanding, if we went back 400 years, how would we approach solving the opening?
It's a thought experiment: Given our modern chess understanding, if we went back 400 years, how would we approach solving the opening?
February 14, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Chess 960 is basically 959 starting chess positions that don't have 400 years of opening evolution.
It's a thought experiment: Given our modern chess understanding, if we went back 400 years, how would we approach solving the opening?
It's a thought experiment: Given our modern chess understanding, if we went back 400 years, how would we approach solving the opening?
Reading @simonwillison.net on running a link blog simonwillison.net/2024/Dec/22/..., and the recursive commentary through HN, I saw a parallel with zettelkasten: your commentary is a discussion on points raised in the material, and Zettelkasten enables subsequent self-conversation/threaded musings.
My approach to running a link blog
I started running a basic link blog on this domain back in November 2003—publishing links (which I called “blogmarks”) with a title, URL, short snippet of commentary and a “via” …
simonwillison.net
February 6, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Reading @simonwillison.net on running a link blog simonwillison.net/2024/Dec/22/..., and the recursive commentary through HN, I saw a parallel with zettelkasten: your commentary is a discussion on points raised in the material, and Zettelkasten enables subsequent self-conversation/threaded musings.
Hi @ottoenglish.bsky.social, I saw your tweet now. I don't know parliamentary procedure, wanted to understand better:
How/why does an amendment cause a bill to be killed? Is it the content of the amendment itself, or is it some procedure?
thank you!
How/why does an amendment cause a bill to be killed? Is it the content of the amendment itself, or is it some procedure?
thank you!
January 10, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Hi @ottoenglish.bsky.social, I saw your tweet now. I don't know parliamentary procedure, wanted to understand better:
How/why does an amendment cause a bill to be killed? Is it the content of the amendment itself, or is it some procedure?
thank you!
How/why does an amendment cause a bill to be killed? Is it the content of the amendment itself, or is it some procedure?
thank you!
Reposted by Isofarro
I talked to 10 current and former Meta employees about the company's surrender to the right on speech issues. All were upset. One person called the changes "a precursor to genocide" www.platformer.news/meta-fact-ch...
January 8, 2025 at 1:52 AM
I talked to 10 current and former Meta employees about the company's surrender to the right on speech issues. All were upset. One person called the changes "a precursor to genocide" www.platformer.news/meta-fact-ch...
Reposted by Isofarro
The comic that got us demonetised on Facebook back in August. (We’re no longer on Facebook).
January 8, 2025 at 9:45 AM
The comic that got us demonetised on Facebook back in August. (We’re no longer on Facebook).
Reposted by Isofarro
I know it's not a tunnel but there is definitely a light at the end of it. The Rochdale Canal at Mytholmroyd in a photograph by Tim Green. CC BY-SA 2.0
December 27, 2024 at 10:49 AM
I know it's not a tunnel but there is definitely a light at the end of it. The Rochdale Canal at Mytholmroyd in a photograph by Tim Green. CC BY-SA 2.0
Reposted by Isofarro
They promised me 32 counties
But all I got was just 32 Bountys
In my box of Celebrations
In 2024 🎶
But all I got was just 32 Bountys
In my box of Celebrations
In 2024 🎶
December 23, 2024 at 9:15 AM
They promised me 32 counties
But all I got was just 32 Bountys
In my box of Celebrations
In 2024 🎶
But all I got was just 32 Bountys
In my box of Celebrations
In 2024 🎶
Paypal's Honey extension, for finding the best coupon codes on the internet, this video shows customers and affiliate marketers are being fleeced. From withholding the best discount coupons, and claiming the last click affiliate, Honey is anti-consumer!:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc4y...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc4y...
Exposing the Honey Influencer Scam
YouTube video by MegaLag
www.youtube.com
December 22, 2024 at 12:53 PM
Paypal's Honey extension, for finding the best coupon codes on the internet, this video shows customers and affiliate marketers are being fleeced. From withholding the best discount coupons, and claiming the last click affiliate, Honey is anti-consumer!:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc4y...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc4y...
Reposted by Isofarro
December 17, 2024 at 2:16 PM
Reposted by Isofarro
🚀 Introducing the new Motion examples minisite!
This is the new home for Motion examples. This is just the first version but it already has most of the introductory Motion for React examples. Much more to come.
1/3 🧵
This is the new home for Motion examples. This is just the first version but it already has most of the introductory Motion for React examples. Much more to come.
1/3 🧵
December 17, 2024 at 2:52 PM
🚀 Introducing the new Motion examples minisite!
This is the new home for Motion examples. This is just the first version but it already has most of the introductory Motion for React examples. Much more to come.
1/3 🧵
This is the new home for Motion examples. This is just the first version but it already has most of the introductory Motion for React examples. Much more to come.
1/3 🧵
Reposted by Isofarro
Nigel Farage: We need to leave the EU because Brussels has too much influence over Britain!
Also Farage: Send us your MAGA millions, Elon.
Nothing quite like right wing hypocrisy.
Also Farage: Send us your MAGA millions, Elon.
Nothing quite like right wing hypocrisy.
December 16, 2024 at 7:31 PM
Nigel Farage: We need to leave the EU because Brussels has too much influence over Britain!
Also Farage: Send us your MAGA millions, Elon.
Nothing quite like right wing hypocrisy.
Also Farage: Send us your MAGA millions, Elon.
Nothing quite like right wing hypocrisy.
Reposted by Isofarro
Reposted by Isofarro
BLOG UPDATE: 5 games added to the page on Lisitsyn's book on the 10th USSR Championship: Belavenets-Ragozin, Ilyin Zhenevsky-I. Rabinovich, Rauzer-Alatortsev, Rauzer-Panov & Levenfish-Rauzer.
dgriffinchess.wordpress.com/2022/03/26/l... #chess
dgriffinchess.wordpress.com/2022/03/26/l... #chess
Lisitsyn’s book on the 10th USSR Championship (Tbilisi, 1937).
A short blog post dedicated to the tournament book of the 10th USSR Championship, which was won by Grigory Levenfish. The writer’s copy of Lisitsyn’s book The 10th USSR Championship too…
dgriffinchess.wordpress.com
December 15, 2024 at 9:18 AM
BLOG UPDATE: 5 games added to the page on Lisitsyn's book on the 10th USSR Championship: Belavenets-Ragozin, Ilyin Zhenevsky-I. Rabinovich, Rauzer-Alatortsev, Rauzer-Panov & Levenfish-Rauzer.
dgriffinchess.wordpress.com/2022/03/26/l... #chess
dgriffinchess.wordpress.com/2022/03/26/l... #chess
The #chess world has a new World Champion, the 18 year old Gukesh. Congratulations on his victory, and a worthy one through his tenacity and resilience. Many players would have broken after game 12, but Gukesh held his nerve.
This is one player at the start of an amazing career...
This is one player at the start of an amazing career...
December 13, 2024 at 5:04 PM
The #chess world has a new World Champion, the 18 year old Gukesh. Congratulations on his victory, and a worthy one through his tenacity and resilience. Many players would have broken after game 12, but Gukesh held his nerve.
This is one player at the start of an amazing career...
This is one player at the start of an amazing career...
Reposted by Isofarro
🕵️♂️ Sneak preview at the next Motion Cursor feature
December 13, 2024 at 12:51 PM
🕵️♂️ Sneak preview at the next Motion Cursor feature
I guess I'm slow. Just discovered that Stefan Pohl, a name familiar in chess engine circles, has a tool called the Interesting Wins Search Tool on www.sp-cc.de/downloads--l...
It uses pgn-extract, and a clever use of material balance filters.
I was curious how Chessbase implemented theirs...
It uses pgn-extract, and a clever use of material balance filters.
I was curious how Chessbase implemented theirs...
Downloads & Links
SPCC Computerchess
www.sp-cc.de
December 11, 2024 at 8:09 PM
I guess I'm slow. Just discovered that Stefan Pohl, a name familiar in chess engine circles, has a tool called the Interesting Wins Search Tool on www.sp-cc.de/downloads--l...
It uses pgn-extract, and a clever use of material balance filters.
I was curious how Chessbase implemented theirs...
It uses pgn-extract, and a clever use of material balance filters.
I was curious how Chessbase implemented theirs...
Reposted by Isofarro
Really coming down to the wire on this one.
December 11, 2024 at 1:02 PM
Really coming down to the wire on this one.
Reposted by Isofarro
5th person to be cured of HIV
“Today, researchers announced the Dusseldorf patient still has no detectable virus in his body, even after stopping his HIV medication four years ago.”
“Today, researchers announced the Dusseldorf patient still has no detectable virus in his body, even after stopping his HIV medication four years ago.”
5th person confirmed to be cured of HIV
Researchers are announcing that a 53-year-old man in Germany has been cured of HIV.
abcnews.go.com
December 11, 2024 at 7:19 AM
5th person to be cured of HIV
“Today, researchers announced the Dusseldorf patient still has no detectable virus in his body, even after stopping his HIV medication four years ago.”
“Today, researchers announced the Dusseldorf patient still has no detectable virus in his body, even after stopping his HIV medication four years ago.”
Reposted by Isofarro
Seeing your debut book in a bookstore for the first time 🥲
December 10, 2024 at 5:30 PM
Seeing your debut book in a bookstore for the first time 🥲
Reposted by Isofarro
The fact that we appear to treat Russian attempts at sabotage, assassination and murder as somehow less significant than other forms of terror is baffling to me.
Attempting to blow a plane up in mid-air is bad regardless of whether the ones responsible are doing it for Putinism or Wahhabism.
Attempting to blow a plane up in mid-air is bad regardless of whether the ones responsible are doing it for Putinism or Wahhabism.
This is one of those stories that I keep thinking will get bigger and bigger but which no-one outside of small security circles is talking about much...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024...
Photos of Birmingham DHL fire suggest device could have downed plane
Images consistent with fire from magnesium-based device, suspected to be part of Russian sabotage plot
www.theguardian.com
December 11, 2024 at 11:27 AM
The fact that we appear to treat Russian attempts at sabotage, assassination and murder as somehow less significant than other forms of terror is baffling to me.
Attempting to blow a plane up in mid-air is bad regardless of whether the ones responsible are doing it for Putinism or Wahhabism.
Attempting to blow a plane up in mid-air is bad regardless of whether the ones responsible are doing it for Putinism or Wahhabism.
Reposted by Isofarro
This is so spot on. As a climate scientist and public intellectual, I see or experience these often
December 10, 2024 at 12:57 PM
This is so spot on. As a climate scientist and public intellectual, I see or experience these often
Reposted by Isofarro
Britain's new anti corruption champion Margaret Hodge will have a very full in-tray
Protecting British politics from dark money and foreign interference needs to be top of the pile
New newsletter by me, on some positive anti-corruption moves from HMG:
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/britains-n...
Protecting British politics from dark money and foreign interference needs to be top of the pile
New newsletter by me, on some positive anti-corruption moves from HMG:
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/britains-n...
Britain’s new anti-corruption champion has a lot to do
Margaret Hodge will have a very full in-tray. Protecting British politics from dark money and foreign interference needs to be top of the pile.
democracyforsale.substack.com
December 9, 2024 at 4:10 PM
Britain's new anti corruption champion Margaret Hodge will have a very full in-tray
Protecting British politics from dark money and foreign interference needs to be top of the pile
New newsletter by me, on some positive anti-corruption moves from HMG:
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/britains-n...
Protecting British politics from dark money and foreign interference needs to be top of the pile
New newsletter by me, on some positive anti-corruption moves from HMG:
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/britains-n...