BALF
@jamiebalfour.scot
🏴 I'm a Scottish computer scientist and teacher with a particular interest in computer language design (I ❤️ compilers/runtimes), website development, UX, educational software and dependable software.
GitHub: balf.io/github
Website: jamiebalfour.scot
GitHub: balf.io/github
Website: jamiebalfour.scot
This is utterly amazing. I am underclocking my machine at 1.25 GHz when on DC to extend battery life. The machine is stable and running at 4W TDP on the CPU. As a result of the changes, the fan rarely runs on battery power as the temperature stays at ~34 degrees, and I can get more done on battery.
January 14, 2026 at 11:37 AM
This is utterly amazing. I am underclocking my machine at 1.25 GHz when on DC to extend battery life. The machine is stable and running at 4W TDP on the CPU. As a result of the changes, the fan rarely runs on battery power as the temperature stays at ~34 degrees, and I can get more done on battery.
Happy New Year, Scotland!
January 1, 2026 at 12:05 AM
Happy New Year, Scotland!
Less than four hours until 2026! Almost time to say goodbye to 2025. 🎉
December 31, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Less than four hours until 2026! Almost time to say goodbye to 2025. 🎉
Society has gone really rotten. Today I read a comment on my personal website, which I have since removed, attacking me personally for a post I put up about 10 years ago describing my least favourite Pokémon. They disliked my opinion. The comment ended by saying that I should kill myself.
December 29, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Society has gone really rotten. Today I read a comment on my personal website, which I have since removed, attacking me personally for a post I put up about 10 years ago describing my least favourite Pokémon. They disliked my opinion. The comment ended by saying that I should kill myself.
I just dropped my MacBook Pro on my wooden floor! I cannot believe the damage! My floor has been dented. My MacBook is fine, of course.
December 26, 2025 at 4:00 PM
I just dropped my MacBook Pro on my wooden floor! I cannot believe the damage! My floor has been dented. My MacBook is fine, of course.
Merry Boxing Day, everyone. Naturally, I don't post on Christmas Day. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Day!
December 26, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Merry Boxing Day, everyone. Naturally, I don't post on Christmas Day. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Day!
After six weeks in my new position, I can genuinely say the move has been the right one. I still miss a lot about my old place, but I feel far more positive here, and I’m no longer dealing with the pressures that were weighing me down before.
November 29, 2025 at 1:50 PM
After six weeks in my new position, I can genuinely say the move has been the right one. I still miss a lot about my old place, but I feel far more positive here, and I’m no longer dealing with the pressures that were weighing me down before.
I have been excited all day for this new monster of a machine. Featuring an AMD Ryzen AI 370 and 32GB of RAM. And it's so small that my MacBook Pro seems huge. It weighs considerably less than 1 kg, too. This little UMPC packs a punch.
November 18, 2025 at 9:38 PM
I have been excited all day for this new monster of a machine. Featuring an AMD Ryzen AI 370 and 32GB of RAM. And it's so small that my MacBook Pro seems huge. It weighs considerably less than 1 kg, too. This little UMPC packs a punch.
What a wonderful evening last night was - even if I'm a bit shattered! The people around where I live are just so polite, respectful and appreciative. I ran out of sweets in the first hour of the night. Or at least I thought I did until I noticed I had another tub full this morning. Woops!
November 1, 2025 at 10:40 AM
What a wonderful evening last night was - even if I'm a bit shattered! The people around where I live are just so polite, respectful and appreciative. I ran out of sweets in the first hour of the night. Or at least I thought I did until I noticed I had another tub full this morning. Woops!
Reposted by BALF
We’re now further from Pokémon Black & White than Black & White was from the very start of Pokémon. That is an absolute shocker.
October 30, 2025 at 5:24 PM
We’re now further from Pokémon Black & White than Black & White was from the very start of Pokémon. That is an absolute shocker.
That’s the end of Invasion on Apple TV, a series that started way back in 2021 on the week I returned from the ICU after having COVID and has kept me entertained over and over. Definitely a series that has had ups and downs but overall glad I watched all of it!
October 26, 2025 at 3:54 PM
That’s the end of Invasion on Apple TV, a series that started way back in 2021 on the week I returned from the ICU after having COVID and has kept me entertained over and over. Definitely a series that has had ups and downs but overall glad I watched all of it!
I visited 𝕏 today, and what a mess it is. Whilst BlueSky might be comparatively small, it's not laden with clutter, constant adverts, or junk you don't want to know about. I used to spend too much time doomscrolling Twitter, but it was in a better place back then. Now I wouldn't even want to with 𝕏.
October 26, 2025 at 1:02 PM
I visited 𝕏 today, and what a mess it is. Whilst BlueSky might be comparatively small, it's not laden with clutter, constant adverts, or junk you don't want to know about. I used to spend too much time doomscrolling Twitter, but it was in a better place back then. Now I wouldn't even want to with 𝕏.
It's really getting to me...
Desmopressin shortage and my health
My lack of desmopressin is having a serious impact on my life.
www.jamiebalfour.scot
October 16, 2025 at 10:45 PM
It's really getting to me...
Happy Bond day 2025
a man in a tuxedo says really on a snl poster
ALT: a man in a tuxedo says really on a snl poster
media.tenor.com
October 5, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Happy Bond day 2025
I had a thought and went and looked up my name. Of course, I come up. However, what's interesting is that every single one of the subpages of my site that appear in the search results is a course. I do know that, of all the views on my website, many of these go to my courses. But there are others.
October 1, 2025 at 9:10 PM
I had a thought and went and looked up my name. Of course, I come up. However, what's interesting is that every single one of the subpages of my site that appear in the search results is a course. I do know that, of all the views on my website, many of these go to my courses. But there are others.
Reposted by BALF
AOL's dial-up internet service ends today. Farewell to the sign on sound that defined a generation.
AOL (Sign On - Dial Up)
YouTube video by RetroHead92
youtu.be
September 30, 2025 at 4:12 PM
AOL's dial-up internet service ends today. Farewell to the sign on sound that defined a generation.
Yesterday's assessment demonstrates the robustness and utility of my self-marking system. Ten pupils who sat the test using my AI-powered marking system had their tests marked in five minutes. It took me 2 minutes to review what the AI had done and make any necessary corrections. #Marking
October 1, 2025 at 6:15 AM
Yesterday's assessment demonstrates the robustness and utility of my self-marking system. Ten pupils who sat the test using my AI-powered marking system had their tests marked in five minutes. It took me 2 minutes to review what the AI had done and make any necessary corrections. #Marking
Thirty-six hours after its last charge, my iPhone 17 Pro is now at 18% charge. That's incredible compared to any phone I have owned in the previous 17 years.
September 30, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Thirty-six hours after its last charge, my iPhone 17 Pro is now at 18% charge. That's incredible compared to any phone I have owned in the previous 17 years.
Cannot believe this but my iPhone 17 Pro hasn’t been charged since yesterday morning and it’s still at 58%. I’m amazed by this.
September 30, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Cannot believe this but my iPhone 17 Pro hasn’t been charged since yesterday morning and it’s still at 58%. I’m amazed by this.
Coming very soon. My new online, free-to-use HTML/CSS/JavaScript editor is designed for education. Two hours of development have the core of it working, including user accounts and saving.
September 19, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Coming very soon. My new online, free-to-use HTML/CSS/JavaScript editor is designed for education. Two hours of development have the core of it working, including user accounts and saving.
Well, some of you will know I'm moving to a new position very soon and leaving the school where I currently work. Today, the pupils discovered this, and many tears were shed by both them and me. It was a tough day!
September 9, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Well, some of you will know I'm moving to a new position very soon and leaving the school where I currently work. Today, the pupils discovered this, and many tears were shed by both them and me. It was a tough day!