iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 09/09/2026

If I'm in the supermarket, my favourite apple is the Kissabel. It's sweet and full of flavour, with a red flesh that looks quite unique. For apples I can grow myself, the Cox's Orange Pippin apples on my tree in the garden are just delicious.

A photo of a Kissabel apple, cut in half so that its deep red flesh is visible.

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 22/08/2026

The first definite game I remember playing was Nightmare Park on the Commodore PET, written by Bob Chappel, which was loaded from cassette tape. I don't honestly play it much these days, but it changed my life at the time. I did convert it to the C64 some years back: adamdawes.com/games/nightm...

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 17/08/2026

Funnily enough, I did just the same yesterday with tomatoes I also grew from seeds. I added home-grown scotch bonnet chillies to mine, it's super spicy and seriously tasty. I hope you enjoy yours!

Six jars of yummy home made chilli ketchup 😋

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 12/08/2026

You can get quite a good view of the eclipse by just making a circle with your fingers if you hold it in just the right place. #eclipse #eclipse2026

The eclipse visible through a circle of thumb and fingers, albeit a shown on BBC News...

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 26/06/2026

I've not heard of that, but I do still have a copy of The Crack-a-Joke Book (chosen by children in aid of Oxfam), which I have great memories of from my childhood.

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 21/06/2026

My solar panels have now passed 1MWh of generated power since I had them installed just over a month ago. The equivalent (according to the app) of 480kg of CO2 saved, or 400kg of coal. I'm so impressed with them. ☀️⚡🔋

A screenshot from my solar panel app showing 1.01MWh of electricity generated, an equivalent saving of 480kg of CO2 saved, or 400kg of coal.

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 09/06/2026

There are few things more satisfying than sitting in the garden on a warm summer evening picking home-grown fruit. 😋

A bowl of strawberries and a bowl of honeyberries picked fresh from the garden.

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 23/05/2026

It's a fantastic achievement (and that's a great website too, I look at it regularly). I had solar panels installed on my roof last week and they're doing great today. Generated nearly 37kW so far today and exported 25kW to the grid. It's amazing to think my house is literally running on sunshine ☀️

A chart showing generation and export of solar energy for today, as described in my post.

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 19/05/2026

My new solar panels were connected up today. I find it completely magical to think that my whole house is literally powered by this afternoon's sunshine. ☀️ Battery charged fully despite a cloudy day and only getting connected after lunchtime. I'm excited to see performance in the coming days. #solar

A chart showing generation and consumption of my solar panels and battery today.

My smart meter showing electricity consumption of 0 watts.

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 16/04/2026

That's awesome, always fun to eat a book! My awesome wife surprised me with a cake version of my first book too, it's so heart-warming thinking back to it.

A copy of my first book, Windows Mobile Game Development, in cake format

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 04/04/2026

WordsUp is coming back! I had to withdraw my popular tile-stacking game ten years ago as it broke on modern versions of Windows, but finally I'm working on getting this up and running again. Coming soon for Windows, Linux and maybe Android. Follow for updates. #indiegame #gamedev #screenshotsaturday

A screenshot of the new work-in-progress version of WordsUp, showing a game in progress with a series of words created on the game board.

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 25/03/2026

I dug out one of my old Windows Phones today. It's still working fine, but I can't get over how TEENY TINY it is. Here's a picture of it next to my current Samsung Galaxy S25. This size felt normal back then! It also still seems to think it's 2014, which is when I last used it. Aww... #WindowsPhone

A tiny-looking HTC Windows Phone next to a relatively enormous Samsung Galaxy S25

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 18/03/2026

Hi, I'd love to see what you think of my remake of the classic 80s arcade game Pac-Mania. My remake is called Pac-Zania and it recreates all the fun of the original as well as adding new levels and gameplay features. It's free for Windows/Linux from my website at adamdawes.com. Hope you like it!

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 31/01/2026

Here's what ChatGPT managed to fix up for these this page, and from the news page 101. Not perfect, but not bad.

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 04/01/2026

I'm watching multi-hour clips of #MTV Europe from back in the #90s today and feeling super nostalgic about it. The channel and its presenters were so awesome back then, I miss it so much 🥹

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 31/12/2025

😭 Though clearly #MTV was a shadow of its former self, it has long had a place in my heart. I remember the MTV Europe VJs, Ray Cokes, Simone Angel, Marijne van der Vlugt, endless amazing music, the cool logo animations. It was the soundtrack of the #90s for me. So long, MTV, gone but not forgotten ♥️

MTV Music current broadcast, starting that the channel is now closed

MTV Music channels in the Sky tv guide, all showing as closed

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 25/11/2025

This one. But the first I really got to know properly was the Speccy's code editor, for all its good bits and bad bits!

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 31/10/2025

I'm sure it was scary at the time, but it's probably been slightly overshadowed since then by the likes of Resident Evil! I bet this was fun to play back in the day though.

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 31/10/2025

It's a spooOOooky night, and if you feel like spending your evening being chased around by ghosts, then why not give my Pac-Mania remake a try? Can you reach, and survive, the haunted library? 👻 Download Pac-Zania free for Windows and Linux: adamdawes.com/games/pac-za... #gamedev #indiegame #retro

A screenshot from my game Pac-Zania, showing a scene from the Haunted Library level.

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 14/10/2025

We bought a copy of that for my son when he was little, it was very much enjoyed. I've not thought about it for years, but I just looked on his bookshelves and there it still is! ♥️

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 17/09/2025

Oh it's heartbreaking isn't it? When my second book was published and I received the physical copies, this is what I found as the very first heading in the whole book. That first word was not present in the documents I had submitted, the publishers added this themselves. I could have cried! 😭

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 13/07/2025

Oh I think you're going to love that machine! I built my own virtual pinball some years back when we replaced our TV, and I have a huge amount of fun with it, you completely forget it's not real once you start playing - video and pictures attached. I look forward to seeing your pinball videos soon!

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 02/07/2025

Pac-Zania v1.1.0 is available now. This update has a number of changes and fixes, the biggest being the new level select feature: you can now start each new game from any level you've previously reached. Download FREE for Windows or Linux from my website at adamdawes.com #indiegame #gamedev #retro

A screenshot from Pac-Zania showing the new level select feature

A screenshot from Pac-Zania showing the first intermission prior to level 1, Block Town

A screenshot from Pac-Zania showing the first level, Block Town

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 29/06/2025

The Pac-Zania level select screen is coming along nicely, thank you for that suggestion @gentspixelclub.bsky.social!

A screenshot of the game Pac-Zania, showing a new level selection screen.

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 19/06/2025

Here's a book I can recommend! 😂

A picture of a book entitled "American National Standard Flowchart Symbols and Their Usage in Information Processing"

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 24/05/2025

This is slightly less zoomed than the GBA version. Here are two screenshots of essentially the same scene, Pac-Zania on the left, GBA on the right. Horizontal orientation does present some challenges but I'll see whether I can add a setting to allow some control over the zoom level.

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 24/05/2025

Here you go, hopefully this is a bit more googly!

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 24/05/2025

Here are a couple more screenshots from Pac-Zania, my upcoming remake of the arcade classic Pac-Mania. Candyland and Space Base join the 6 other levels (the four originals plus some new ones). Coming soon, 100% free, no ads -- follow for updates. #screenshotsaturday #gamedev #indiegame #retro

A screenshot of the Candyland level from my forthcoming game, Pac-Zania

A screenshot of the Space Base level from my forthcoming game, Pac-Zania

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 17/05/2025

You can hear my new radio show Live and Unplugged on The 90s Network every Saturday at 5pm UK/Ireland time. Great 90s songs from your favourite 90s artists, live on tour or in intimate acoustic sessions. Listen on your smart speaker or at www.90snetwork.com. @90snetwork.bsky.social

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 17/05/2025

Here are a couple of new screenshots from Pac-Zania, my work-in-progress Pac-Mania remake. I present here two brand new levels: the Ice Fortress and the Haunted Library. Coming soon, 100% free, no ads -- follow for updates. #screenshotsaturday #gamedev #indiegame #retro

A screenshot of the Ice Fortress level in my forthcoming game Pac-Zania.

A screenshot of the Haunted Library level in my forthcoming game Pac-Zania.

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 15/03/2025

As promised, here's a quick video showing work-in-progress on Pac-Zania, my current remake project. Follow for updates! #screenshotsaturday #gamedev #retrogaming #pacman

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 08/03/2025

I'm currently having a lot of fun working on a remake of the classic 1987 arcade game Pac-Mania. I'll post a video sometime soon. #screenshotsaturday #gamedev #retrogaming #pacman

A screenshot of my work-in-progress Pac-Mania remake

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 05/01/2025

Finally getting around to trying out some of the new Pinball FX tables I purchased on the Steam sale over Christmas. #pinball #retrogaming

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 05/01/2025

Wow, that does make a huge difference! I think this is beyond the capabilities of my telescope though. Here's what I've managed so far, this with a couple of hours of exposure and stacking directly on the Seestar. I intend to return to this another day for a longer time and stack on the PC instead.

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 04/01/2025

I'm pleased with this picture of the Pleiades (which I've also learned how to spell) that I took last night. This was my first experiment with using "framing" mode on the #Seestar S50 and I think it came out well. It took about two hours to produce this image. #AstroPhotography

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 04/01/2025

I think the fact we're talking about different days confuses things, too. This is how far the moon has moved in just 24 hours relative to Saturn and Venus.

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 04/01/2025

Yes it is, tonight from the UK. Here's the view in Stellarium from Adelaide this evening, perhaps it's Saturn causing the confusion as that is right next to the moon, too?

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 04/01/2025

Incidentally, here are some pictures I took of Venus and Jupiter a couple of days ago. Jupiter's atmospheric bands are just about visible, and the crescent of sunlight on Venus is very clear.

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 04/01/2025

It's definitely Venus. Here's how Stellarium shows the moon, Venus and Jupiter. Jupiter is very visible in the sky at the moment too, but it's not currently close to the moon.

The current relative positions of the moon, Venus and Jupiter

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 02/01/2025

Here are the first few pictures I've taken with my new #Seestar S50 telescope. I'm blown away by how good these are! Here are Andromeda, the Triangulum galaxy, and the Orion nebula, all take directly from the telescope with just a little contrast adjustment on my PC afterwards. #AstroPhotography

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 02/01/2025

Just reposting that image because I realised that the original had GPS coordinates embedded in it, which is information I'd rather not share. Don't suppose you know of a way to get the app to exclude those from its saved images?

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Adam Dawes @adamdawes.com · 10/12/2024

Nightmare Park on a Commodore PET. They don't make them like that any more.

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