Classic TV Shows

A celebration of timeless television that shaped British culture and influenced generations of viewers. From groundbreaking science documentaries to revolutionary comedies, these shows defined an era of broadcasting excellence and remain watchable and enjoyable today. Tomorrow’s World (1965 - 2003) Tomorrow’s World was a groundbreaking British television series showcasing contemporary developments in science and technology. The show introduced viewers to innovations and futuristic concepts, making it one of the most influential science programs in British television history. ...

April 26, 2024 · 4 min · James M

The Hindley Street Country Club

About The Hindley Street Country Club (HSCC) is an Australian group founded in 2017 by arranger and producer Constantine Delo. The band specializes in innovative cover arrangements that have achieved massive viral success through social media. Starting as a group of Adelaide musicians recording re-arranged covers, HSCC uploads fresh videos weekly. What sets them apart is their creative approach to arranging classic funk, soul, and R&B tracks with unique instrumental combinations and energetic performances. The formula has resonated globally, earning them over 540 million YouTube views, 940,000+ YouTube subscribers, and more than a billion views across all social media platforms. ...

April 22, 2024 · 2 min · James M

1X - Eve

TL;DR 1X EVE is a wheeled android robot designed by 1X Technologies for logistics, retail, and industrial environments Built with soft, organic-inspired mechanics to enable safe physical interaction with humans Can navigate real-world environments independently - doors, elevators, and standard workspaces Understands and responds to natural language commands via advanced language processing Learns and adapts over time through embodied AI, rather than following fixed pre-programmed routines Overview 1X EVE is an android worker designed by 1X Technologies. It’s a mobile robot with wheels and gripper arms that can be used for various tasks in logistics, retail, and other industries. ...

April 21, 2024 · 1 min · James M

Very very large numbers

What Are Very Large Numbers? Large numbers exist on a spectrum so extreme that human intuition breaks down. From the observable universe containing roughly 10^80 atoms, to numbers so impossibly vast that they dwarf the atoms themselves, these magnitudes challenge our ability to comprehend scale. But they’re not just abstract curiosities. Large numbers appear in computer science (combinatorics, compression), physics (entropy, quantum possibilities), and mathematics (set theory, ordinal numbers). Understanding them requires leaving behind our everyday sense of “big” and embracing the mathematical structures that define these hierarchies. ...

April 21, 2024 · 4 min · James M

Tesla Optimus Robot

TL;DR Tesla Optimus (also called the Tesla Bot) is a bipedal humanoid robot designed for general-purpose tasks, powered by Tesla-designed AI for navigation and environmental understanding The latest version, Optimus Gen 2, is faster, lighter, and has improved dexterity compared to earlier prototypes Elon Musk’s target price is less than half the cost of a Tesla car - roughly $20,000 to $25,000 - with the expectation that the price will fall further as production scales Musk has predicted that long-term, the robot business will be worth significantly more than Tesla’s car business The vision is for Optimus to take on dangerous or unpleasant jobs, freeing humans for more creative and leisure-based pursuits Overview Tesla Optimus, also known as the Tesla Bot, is a bipedal humanoid robot which has been under development by Tesla since 2021. It’s designed to be a general-purpose robot, meaning it could potentially be used for a wide range of tasks. It’s equipped with Tesla-designed AI for navigation & understanding surroundings. The latest version (Optimus Gen 2) boasts faster walking, lighter weight & improved dexterity. ...

April 21, 2024 · 2 min · James M

Boston Dynamics Reveals Its Most Astonishing Humanoid Robot So Far

TL;DR All New Atlas is Boston Dynamics’ first fully-electric humanoid - a clean break from the hydraulic Atlas it replaced Designed for real-world work environments rather than stage demos, with a body more human-like than anything Boston Dynamics has shipped before Still a research platform - commercial and consumer availability is some way off, but the underlying control and balance work is impressive Builds on decades of agility and mobility research and signals where the humanoid form factor is heading next Part of a broader 2024-2026 wave of humanoid programmes from Boston Dynamics, Tesla, 1X, and others Boston Dynamics has revealed its most astonishing humanoid robot so far. ...

April 20, 2024 · 2 min · James M

Apple finally allows game emulators in the App Store

Finally gaming emulators are now permitted on Apple devices. I’ve just downloaded the Delta app for iPhone and it’s awesome, runs really smoothly Apple App Store: Delta - Game Emulator Available Emulators Delta Developer: Riley Testut Supported Systems: NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS Key Features: Cloud saves, cheat codes, customizable controls, controller support Price: Free (with optional premium features) Dolphin Developer: Dolphin Emulator Team Supported Systems: GameCube, Wii Key Features: HD graphics, controller support, save states, netplay Price: Free Other Notable Emulators Bimmy: NES emulator Provenance: Multi-system emulator (limited availability) PPSSPP: PSP emulator Installation and Setup Getting Started with Delta Download Delta from the App Store Grant necessary permissions for file access Download ROMs from legal sources Import ROMs into Delta Configure controls for your preferred layout Controller Setup Built-in Controls: Touch controls with customizable layouts External Controllers: Supports MFi controllers, Xbox, PlayStation controllers Bluetooth Pairing: Enable Bluetooth in Settings > Delta Troubleshooting Common Issues ROM Import Problems ...

April 20, 2024 · 3 min · James M

Music Production: Analogue vs Digital Synths

Overview Analog & digital synthesizers are both electronic instruments that create sound, but they differ in how they generate and manipulate that sound. Here’s a list of the key differences. Analog Synths Use electrical circuits to produce sound waves These circuits can be influenced by various knobs and sliders, creating a warm, rich sound with subtle imperfections Pros Warm, organic sound, sought-after for genres like classic electronic music, “hands-on” approach to sound design Cons Can be expensive, limited in features compared to digital synths, less polyphony Digital Synths ...

April 20, 2024 · 2 min · James M

OpenAI Voice Engine

TL;DR OpenAI Voice Engine is a text-to-speech model that can clone a realistic voice from just a 15-second audio sample It produces emotive, natural-sounding speech despite using a small model and minimal training data Access has remained in limited preview since its 2024 announcement due to responsible AI concerns around voice cloning and impersonation Approved testers must obtain clear consent from voice providers and inform listeners that voices are AI-generated As of 2026, the technology is restricted to approved partners and researchers rather than general availability About OpenAI’s Voice Engine is a text-to-speech tool which can create realistic voices from just a 15-second audio sample. It is notable that a small model with a single 15-second sample can create emotive and realistic voices. To ensure responsible use testers must get clear consent from voice providers, avoid creating user-generated voices, and inform listeners that the voices are AI-generated. ...

March 31, 2024 · 2 min · James M

Stargate

TL;DR Stargate is a $500B AI infrastructure programme announced in January 2025 - a joint effort between Microsoft, OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle Construction has already started in Texas with more sites planned, aimed at training and serving the next generation of frontier AI models The scale signals where compute spend is heading - tens of billions per cluster is becoming the price of admission at the frontier Combines OpenAI’s models, Microsoft’s cloud, SoftBank’s capital, and Oracle’s enterprise infrastructure into one of the largest tech buildouts ever announced Worth tracking as a useful proxy for how seriously the industry takes the compute side of the AGI race About Stargate is a $500 billion AI infrastructure project announced in January 2025. The initiative is a collaboration between Microsoft, OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle to build a series of massive AI supercomputers and data centers. ...

March 30, 2024 · 2 min · James M