matt sarnoff
@msarnoff.bsky.social
Software/firmware/electrical engineer specializing in embedded Linux, IoT, and microcontroller applications. Into weird old tech, retrocomputing/gaming, and pinball. Father of 5 (2 human, 3 feline). Formerly txsector on Twitter. 🇨🇦
My top 4 Vancouver landmarks so far:
4. The giant drill bit off Grandview Highway next to the Canadian Tire
3. Dude Chilling Park
2. The ominous glowing red W looming over the city
1. The bigass pile of Yellow across the water from Canada Place
4. The giant drill bit off Grandview Highway next to the Canadian Tire
3. Dude Chilling Park
2. The ominous glowing red W looming over the city
1. The bigass pile of Yellow across the water from Canada Place
August 4, 2025 at 4:47 AM
My top 4 Vancouver landmarks so far:
4. The giant drill bit off Grandview Highway next to the Canadian Tire
3. Dude Chilling Park
2. The ominous glowing red W looming over the city
1. The bigass pile of Yellow across the water from Canada Place
4. The giant drill bit off Grandview Highway next to the Canadian Tire
3. Dude Chilling Park
2. The ominous glowing red W looming over the city
1. The bigass pile of Yellow across the water from Canada Place
It’s the 10th anniversary of the Lynwood bee truck incident
April 18, 2025 at 3:10 AM
It’s the 10th anniversary of the Lynwood bee truck incident
Well that’s a new one
December 31, 2024 at 9:16 PM
Well that’s a new one
This cat’s name is Annie’s Shells and Cheese. She is a good cat.
December 28, 2024 at 1:10 AM
This cat’s name is Annie’s Shells and Cheese. She is a good cat.
AHHHH THEY REBOOTED THE HAMILTON PULSAR AND NOW I WANT ONE
December 25, 2024 at 12:28 AM
AHHHH THEY REBOOTED THE HAMILTON PULSAR AND NOW I WANT ONE
Despite all the Nobel laureates and Turing Award winners, this is my college’s most famous alumnus
December 18, 2024 at 1:37 PM
Despite all the Nobel laureates and Turing Award winners, this is my college’s most famous alumnus
The Diehl may be a lost cause, but I have these three adding machines that I got running last year. They all mostly work but still need more cleaning. That 1930s Monroe is gonna look amazing once I get to it.
December 16, 2024 at 5:03 PM
The Diehl may be a lost cause, but I have these three adding machines that I got running last year. They all mostly work but still need more cleaning. That 1930s Monroe is gonna look amazing once I get to it.
Honestly I doubt I’ll be able to make any progress on getting this calculator working anytime soon. I’ll put it back together, put it away, and come back to it when my kids go off to college.
December 14, 2024 at 6:05 AM
Honestly I doubt I’ll be able to make any progress on getting this calculator working anytime soon. I’ll put it back together, put it away, and come back to it when my kids go off to college.
These tiny E-clips are enough to make me want to quit altogether
December 13, 2024 at 8:51 PM
These tiny E-clips are enough to make me want to quit altogether
Calculator update: it’s about what I expected. I’ll need to vacuum or blow out all the dust, then remove the motor. The nightmare fuel is all along the right hand side of the machine, where all the buttons and their linkages are jammed up.
inb4 anyone says “Diehl with it”
inb4 anyone says “Diehl with it”
December 13, 2024 at 3:49 PM
Calculator update: it’s about what I expected. I’ll need to vacuum or blow out all the dust, then remove the motor. The nightmare fuel is all along the right hand side of the machine, where all the buttons and their linkages are jammed up.
inb4 anyone says “Diehl with it”
inb4 anyone says “Diehl with it”
My wife found this on Buy Nothing and made the mistake of telling me... it's a Marchant-badged Diehl VSR-18
calculator. It is completely seized up. These things have thousands of parts and are so complex it could take many months to restore. And all literature I can find about it is in German.
calculator. It is completely seized up. These things have thousands of parts and are so complex it could take many months to restore. And all literature I can find about it is in German.
December 11, 2024 at 4:44 AM
My wife found this on Buy Nothing and made the mistake of telling me... it's a Marchant-badged Diehl VSR-18
calculator. It is completely seized up. These things have thousands of parts and are so complex it could take many months to restore. And all literature I can find about it is in German.
calculator. It is completely seized up. These things have thousands of parts and are so complex it could take many months to restore. And all literature I can find about it is in German.
Obscure pinball trivia: what is this wavy metal piece on the side rail that is only seen in 1950s-60s games and never again? Answer in alt text.
December 8, 2024 at 11:45 AM
Obscure pinball trivia: what is this wavy metal piece on the side rail that is only seen in 1950s-60s games and never again? Answer in alt text.
Need to work around bugs in the wifi driver, and Balena doesn’t let you customize kernel module parameters inside a container…
December 5, 2024 at 3:53 PM
Need to work around bugs in the wifi driver, and Balena doesn’t let you customize kernel module parameters inside a container…
The aluminum Cinema Displays (especially the 30”) were peak Apple pro aesthetic
December 1, 2024 at 9:39 PM
The aluminum Cinema Displays (especially the 30”) were peak Apple pro aesthetic
As soon as I saw that pink line down the screen, I knew my work computer wasn’t long for this world. It’s a Touch Bar model so at least nothing of value is lost
December 1, 2024 at 5:47 AM
As soon as I saw that pink line down the screen, I knew my work computer wasn’t long for this world. It’s a Touch Bar model so at least nothing of value is lost
This seems to have been such a boneheaded design that Burroughs removed it from future models. I know because I have two of them
November 29, 2024 at 2:18 PM
This seems to have been such a boneheaded design that Burroughs removed it from future models. I know because I have two of them
Last year I was cleaning/restoring a Burroughs electric adding machine. And things got… spicy. Details in thread…
November 29, 2024 at 2:18 PM
Last year I was cleaning/restoring a Burroughs electric adding machine. And things got… spicy. Details in thread…