iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Decent $10 yard sale haul. Might need the 256MB CompactFlash card for a future project, a DVI-D to HDMI cable is always good to have on hand, and the 1GB Creative Muvo V100 MP3 player is just for fun. I figure any of these off eBay would cost me more than $3.33 just for shipping. #blutoid

A Creative Muvo V100 MP3 player, a Phillips PXT1000 DVI-D to HDMI conversion cable, and a 256MB Lexar CompactFlash card.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

The PC desktop setup is finally complete (minus a bit more cable management)! It looks a little excessive, but in my defense, I got the 1080p monitor on the left for free from a friend just a few days before the desk arrived. I integrated it into the build, and I actually quite like it. #blutoid

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

I'm excited to hear how they sound when gaming. Thankfully, I also have an old Roland UA-1G USB audio interface I can use that'll be a big step up from the onboard soundchip if I want to use headphones with this old thing.

A Cakewalk By Roland UA-1G USB Audio Interface

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Just got Windows XP Pro SP3 running on this Toshiba Satellite 2410-304 from the early 2000s. There's a NVIDIA GeForce4 420 Go GPU and Pentium 4M processor on this not-so-little guy. Look at the size of the speakers on this thing! I also got some cool PCMCIA network adapter cards with it. #blutoid

A Toshiba Satellite 2410-304 running Windows XP.

The stickers on the inside of a Toshiba Satellite 2410-304.

Look at the size of the speakers on this thing!

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Sundays are for Sega Saturn! Time for some O-chan no Oekaki Logic! It's basically Hebereke Picross. #blutoid

O-chan no Oekaki Logic for the Sega Saturn

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

After going through them all, these were the only VHS tapes without any mold present on them. Might convert my spare VCR player into a makeshift tape cleaner at some point. But for now, this is my VHS tape library. I'm definitely watching The Living Daylights tonight. Classic James Bond! #blutoid

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Excavated my family's old VHS tape stash. Some pretty decent stuff here. A lot of it has sadly molded, but there are several that are still in excellent condition. Starman, Dead Poet's Society, The Living Daylights, etc. Might pop a few of them into my VCR player sometime. #blutoid

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Paid $5 for a TMNT frozen treat when the ice cream truck passed by my house. I wanted the classic Sonic one, but they were out, so I settled for this. Uh...I remember loving these things as a child, but they actually kinda suck? Some childhood nostalgia just doesn't hold up. 😅 #blutoid

A TMNT Leonardo Tropical Punch frozen treat with some bites in it. Hope the gumball are at least good.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

When people join off me in VRChat: #blutoid

Mothman from Shin Megami Tensei V saying to the player, "WeLl, If it ISN'T the DuMbaSS with Too mANy fRIendS!"

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

This Roland UA-1G portable USB audio interface from the early 2000s is surprisingly still pretty good. I'm glad I found it lying around in one of my dad's desk drawers when he asked me to search for some unrelated papers. He immediately gave it to me. More reclaimed audio tech for me! #blutoid

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

I've been borrowing my older brother's Famicom to play a few different games. Xevious, Murasame Castle (Disc System Version), etc. Cool little console, though I can't say I love the controllers being wired to the console. Glad that didn't become a staple. #blutoid

A Famicom console sitting atop a Famicom Disk System attachment with Xevious in the cart slot.

The Mysterious Murasame Castle for Famicom Disk System. Very difficult, but fun.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

I already refurbished the other two VCR players my family had, which were both decent models. I decided to try fixing the last one: a cheap Chinese made Phillips Magnavox model. It instantly tried to eat my tape and crushed its outer shell. My curiosity got the better of me once again. 😅 #blutoid

A Phillips Magnavox VRA631AT22. A cheap 90s VCR model with a Chinese Funai mechanism in it. The mechanism inside has not aged nearly as well as its siblings made in Japan and Korea.

It ate my tape and crushed the shell. This VCR is headed for the scrap heap!

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Currently resisting the temptation to spend $20 on an obscure Japanese charity music CD just because I can't find its tracks in CD quality ANYWHERE on the internet. It ain't on Soulseek, and I've no hope of getting into the walled city that is JPopsuki 2.0 to check there. #blutoid

Voice of Love Posse was a Japanese charity group comprised of a bunch of popular Japanese pop artists. Think "We Are The World", but Japanese. They recorded this one song, and it's pretty good.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Jammin' out to janet. (Ms. Jackson if you're nasty) with some of my favorite IEMs. It's such a sprawling album, but well worth listening to from start to finish. #blutoid

The album janet. by Janet Jackson on an iBasso DX180 w/ SeeAudio Bravery AE IEMs

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Been listening to my Prince cassette collection lately. The first few cassettes were my mother's, but I've filled out the rest myself. I'm finding new appreciation for each album as I listen. Come is not nearly as forgettable as I thought it was, and Gold Experience is...an experience. #blutoid

Prince cassettes from his debut album For You all the way to the 3 cassette Emancipation album. Not pictured is the cassette version of Chaos and Disorder, which I also own.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Found some proof of my early gamer cred: a picture my mother took of me in September of 2002 playing Sonic Blast on my older brother's Sega Game Gear. A Sega Sports Blue Game Gear no less! I was probably stuck in the labyrinth that is Blue Marine Zone Act 2. 😅 #blutoid

A younger D-Volt playing Sonic Blast on a Sega Sports Blue Sega Game Gear.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Doing some upkeep on my WM-EX999 today. Once it's cleaned and adjusted, I know exactly which cassette I'm going to listen to: Prince's debut album For You. Prince sang and performed every instrument on this album. It's raw and unrefined compared to his later work, but it's still amazing. #blutoid

A Sony WM-EX999 cassette Walkman, including the original RM-WM77E remote and MDR-E551 earbuds with white foams. This model has a dual head mechanism.

Prince's debut album For You on cassette. Not to be confused with Tatsuro Yamashita's classic city pop album For You (which I actually also own on cassette).

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

Had to buff off the anti-reflective coating on my PSVR2 headset lenses. I get why Sony put it on their fresnel lenses, but it flakes so easily. Once it does, it ruins your vision. Easy enough to just remove, but I feel bad for any owner who doesn't know you can just take it off. #blutoid

The left lenses. It's a small scratch in the coating, but it still comes across as a noticable smudge when wearing it.

The right lense. Much worse and the reason I had to take the steps to buff off the entirety of the anti-reflective coating.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

My latest project is a pretty straightforward one...probably. my older brother has complained to me for years that his Dreamcast sounds like a jet engine and struggles to read discs. So I'm gonna bust it open, give it a complete cleaning from top to bottom, and make some adjustments. #blutoid

A Sega Dreamcast. A common VA1 revision to be precise.

Admittedly, it's not a console that I have much nostalgia for. As a kid, I jumped straight from my PS1 to the Gamecube and skipped right past it.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

My dad used to pirate PC games and burn them to CDs in the early 2000s. Now that I have a CD drive, I checked one of them out. It had Sega Smash Pack 2 on it. Probably not the most optimal way to experience some of these games, but it's still pretty interesting. #blutoid

Sonic 2 on PC. Obviously it wasn't exactly made for widescreen presentation.

Super Hang-on. Apparently the games on Sega Smash Pack 2 are running on the KGen emulator. Neat.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Repaired and installed an old Labelflash CD drive into my desktop PC. Because of my 240mm AIO cooler, it only slots halfway into my case. But it is properly secured to the case with screws, so it just looks a little janky. This ain't a beauty contest! #blutoid

It's screwed in in 3 different places. Should be fine.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

Today's project: bring my old Alienware Steam Machine back to life. Gonna repaste the CPU with MX-7, swap the 1TB HDD for a 120GB SSD, install Linux Mint, and then reconnect the HDD back to it via USB. An SSD will make the OS snappy but I'll use the HDD to retain the large storage space. #blutoid

My old Alienware Steam Machine. Used this guy as my main desktop PC from 2016 to around 2020, so I've got a soft spot for the little guy.

Crazy that you can completely remove the entire internal assembly with only 4 screws!

I already upgraded the RAM, so this configuration is maxed out.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

Today, I decided to try running 96GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR5 RAM on my PC for the heck of it (I upgraded from 32GB to 64GB a few years back and had the extra sticks just lying around collecting dust). To my surprise, it POST and passed my usual stability tests...at 4000 MT/s. 🤷🏽‍♂️ #blutoid

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Refurbishment complete! It's reading carts better, looks amazing, and I applied some foam under the cart ejector, so it's not so loud. A little lubrication in the right places also means it's smooth to operate. Looking forward to playing it tomorrow. #blutoid

A freshly cleaned SNES with Donkey Kong Country 2 in it.

The SNES shell disassembled and cleaned.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Today's project is to fully disassemble and refurnish my SNES. Thankfully, the plastic hasn't yellowed much, so retrobright won't be needed. I'll clean the plastic shell with mild dish soap and water, use Dexoit D5 to make the cartridge slot more reliable, and scrub the PCB with 91% IA. #blutoid

A well loved game console is a thing of beauty...and also kinda nasty. This bad boy could desperately use a little TLC!

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System Control Deck (yes, that's the official name for the main console unit) fully disassembled...well, mostly. I still needed to remove the faceplate from the controller PCB at this point. But it's like, 95% of it. Definitely needs a scrub down!

The entire inside assembly of the SNES. Still needed to remove the faceplate at The SNES is surprisingly simple in construction once you open it up.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

A much anticipated addition to my record collection has just arrived: Constant Companions (Deluxe Edition) by @jamies.page ! Really looking forward to spinning this in the near future.

A vinyl record copy of Constant Companions (Deluxe Edition) by Jamie Paige in a gatefold jacket.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Got my SEQ-50 all fixed up. Turns out the power button just needed a little Deoxit D5, as did the sliders to remove the scratchiness. This device produces a constant hiss noise (completely normal), so I opted to use a 75 Ohm impedence adapter to eliminate it. Works great and no hiss. #blutoid

Sony SEQ-50 with a 75 Ohm impedence adapter. In that adapter is another adapter (a 4.4mm to 3.5mm adapter), which is then connected to an IEM. The 3.5mm plug of the SEQ-50 is connected to a DAP.

Without the faceplate, you can see the sliders clearly.

The back was covered in flux residue. While not really an issue, I figured I'd scrub it off anyway.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Today's task is opening this bad boy up and giving it a once over: a Sony Walkman SEQ-50. It's a pretty neat portable 5 band equalizer originally made for use with cassette walkmans. Really cool to see an old analog style EQ at this size. #blutoid

A Sony SEQ 50 Graphic Equalizer with the branding "Walkman EQ"

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

Purchased a replacement remote for my CRT TV that will hopefully arrive by next week. When I finally get it, I can enter the service menu of my TV and fix most of the issues with its picture.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Alisia Dragoon is one of my favorite examples of game box art from the era when it was often radically altered during localization. Mostly because both the original Japanese and westernized covers are rad as hell.

Japanese Alisia Dragoon for Sega Mega Drive box art

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Dark Savior has a section where you have to perform a bunch of platforming (including climbing ladders!) and fight multiple enemies while carrying a giant anthropomorphic lizard above your head the entire time. It is incredibly bizarre but fits with this game's unhinged nature. #blutoid

Yes, you can climb ladders while carrying this giant lizard guy above your head.

Yes, I AM going to fight this giant pig man while holding a giant lizard man above my head. Why do you ask?

The baffling decision to make this game's battle system play out like a fighting game is arguably the strangest thing about Dark Savior.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Started Dark Savior, a spiritual sequel of sorts to the classic Genesis game Landstalker. It shows its flaws very early on, but man, if this game doesn't just ooze character. The game scenario and writing still feel fresh almost 30 years later. It's a real looker, too. #blutoid

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Wowzers, I pre-ordered this record way back in July of last year, and it's only just now shipped. I'm looking forward to listening to it, but I completely forgot I even purchased it. 😵‍💫

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Opted to play some Christmas NiGHTS today since on April 1st, you unlock the ability to play as Reala. Of course, the real draw of this special sampler disc is unlocking Sonic as a playable character, but it takes quite a bit of time to do so. I'll get there eventually. #blutoid

My first time actually getting an A rank in NiGHTS. It's pretty easy once you understand how the game wants you to play it.

You can unlock various pictures as Christmas Presents.

Still a ways to go went it comes to unlocking all the presents. At least I have Reala now.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Of course, the results of this mesh effect vary based on your TV. My 20" APEX AT2002S doesn't have the best comb filter built into it. On a composite signal (shown on the left), the mesh effect in the shadow works, but a rainbow shimmer is created. On S-Video (shown on the right) the effect is lost.

The shadow under this stone arch uses a mesh effect for transparency. On this composite signal, the effect is properly achieved. However, a rainbow shimmer effect is created, as the comb filter in my CRT does not separate the chroma and luma signals from my composite all that well.

On an S-Video signal, chroma and luma are separated perfectly, but the transparency effect from the mesh is lost. Notice how the shadow under the tree and Sonic both now have a visible mesh design.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

The Sega Saturn made heavy use of a pixel mesh design to create transparency. The composite video signal of your TV would blend the pixel mesh together. The left image is of Megaman X4 on Sega Saturn. The right of Megaman X4 on Playstation. Credit to Matt Greer for this awesome example! #blutoid

Megaman X4 for Sega Saturn uses a mesh on this light to create transparency. On a CRT TV's composite video signal, this would appear to be one solid but transparent sprite.

The Playstation was capable of doing transparency without needing to utilize a mesh technique. The light sprite here appears transparent regardless of your choice of video signal.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Experiencing retro games as authentically as I have been recently means I should take all retro factors into consideration. Shorter arcade style experiences aren't meant to be tossed aside after a single run. If I have the time to run through them multiple times, I should probably do that.

My Sega Saturn with a Saroo cartridge. Inserted is a microSD card with multiple bin/cue files of Sega Saturn games.

My PS2 Slim with a 64MB memory card load we with FreeMcBoot homebrew software and an MX4SIO card with a microSD card for playing PS2 ISO files.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

I finally took the time to sit down and finish Astal for once. It's a gorgeous game with a good soundtrack, but that's about all I can say for it. The mediocre platforming is complimented by combat, which is simplistic and unsatisfying. But it is still a shame that it's never been ported. #blutoid

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Artemio's 240p Test Suite has confirmed my suspicions about my CRT's display: it's shifted much too far to the left and is ever so slightly tilted as well. I'll have to accept it until I can get a remote that'll let me access the service mode on my CRT to make the adjustments. #blutoid

Too much of the right side of the grid is exposed compared to the right. The red overscan lines are almost even on the top and bottom, but way off on the left and right.

The overscan test confirms as much. The top and bottom (3.5/3.5) have an almost perfect 1 to 1 ratio (very good for a budget consumer grade CRT from the turn of the century), but the left and right are a ways off (2.1/0.0). Adjusting the yoke will likely make the top and bottom perfect, while a horizontal shift to the right will properly adjust the overscan ratio between the left and right.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Always cool to see examples of how game artists in the 90s used the natural bloom of CRT phosphors to their advantage when designing game textures. These are two pictures of the exact same roof texture in Shining Force III. The CRT display makes quite a difference! #blutoid

Notice how the phosphors blend the light and shadow of the texture together to create the appearance of smooth, individual roof tiles. The jagged edges are also heavily reduced.

Without CRT bloom, the jagged edges of the texture are revealed. The shadow and light areas don't blend, making it nearly impossible to make out individual roof tiles.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

This has resulted in many times where I have purchased a game only to lose interest in playing it before I even start it. Then, there was that time a few months ago when I randomly became obsessed with playing through the entirety of the original Breath of Fire. So...yeah. 😮‍💨 #blutoid

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Spot went to Hollywood in 1995. He was almost cast as the native American warrior Little Bear in the classic 1995 film The Indian in the Cupboard. Director Frank Oz loved his audition. He said he was the perfect size and was "red enough for the part." That last comment was a PR nightmare. #blutoid

A picture showing Spot during his time in Hollywood in 1995.

The classic film The Indian in the Cupboard.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Well, it wasn't easy, but my Sega Saturn Arcade Racer is now fully refurbished. I completely disassembled it, cleaned the plastic case, and lubricated it liberally. Now, the wheel turns smooth as butter and doesn't make any noise even when using either of the 2 adjustment mechanisms. #blutoid

The inside of the steering wheel. It's just a few boards and some clicker buttons for the gear shifters.

The steering column. A spring provides tension when you turn the wheel and also serves to spring it back to the middle when released. To the left, you can see the LEDs. There's a circular film with slits on the steering column that goes between those LEDs.

The springs were completely lubricated, which removed much of the creaking noises and made the wheel turn much smoother.

The entire outside casing of the Sega Saturn Arcade Racer. Some water and dish soap was all it needed to shine again. It is just ABS plastic, after all.

The finished result. Slick, shiny, and ready for some Sega arcade goodness once my Saroo arrives!

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

I ordered a Saroo for my Sega Saturn that should arrive in a few days, so here's today's sidequest: bring my Sega Saturn Arcade Racer back up to factory specifications. That means cleaning the outside casing, greasing the inside steering column, and applying contact cleaner where needed. #blutoid

The Sega Saturn Arcade Racer controller. Interestingly, it's a true analog racing wheel, not digital.

I got this guy for $20 years ago at a game shop up in Rochester, NY. Time to give'er the refurbishment she deserves!

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Throwback to when I took some aesthetically pleasing pictures of a few of the Japanese cassettes in my collection. It was a simpler time.

Yellow Magic Orchestra - Solid State Survivor (though misspelled as "Sollid State Survivor" on the original cassette release)

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Decided to open my Walkman EX2000 even though it's been functioning just fine. Found an area on the board that looked like a disaster zone. Then, I checked the service manual. That resistor that looks Frankenstein'd into place? It's part of the intended design! 😱 #blutoid

The Sony Walkman EX2000. A turn of the century Walkman and the only one of this form factor to use all brass flywheels.

Everything looks okay on the main board. A little flux residue in places, but otherwise...wait a second. What's that in the top left corner?

Yikes! This is a downright criminal soldering job! Why the hell is a resistor bridging a capacitor to a logic chip? And why does it completely disregard the layout of the board?

Let's consult the service manual. Well, would you look at that! It looks like they really did just slap a resistor (R321) between the Surround Sound Control logic chip (Q303) and a capacitor (C321).

I'd have to guess this piece was soldered in by hand, and whoever did the job on this unit wasn't exactly careful about it. 😒

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

OG Sega Saturn controller, they could never make me hate you. ❤️ #blutoid

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

70-inch HDTV successfully harvested! Managed to get all the boards out unharmed. Also took the speakers, IR sensor, WiFi/Bluetooth module, and TV buttons. I should be able to interface with the main board's ARM processor through the RS232 port. But that's a project for another day.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

This puzzle in Shenzhen I/O absolutely kicked my ass for a few hours. Had to assign a 1 or 0 to a register to represent 2 different program states, then refer back to that register to confirm actions reflected the current state of the program. This was educational, but boy did it suck. #blutoid

You can tell from my note that I was not exactly in the best mood when I finally figured out a solution.

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D-Volt @d-volt.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Learning C++ while playing Shenzhen I/O has been a great combo. Because the assembly language of SZ I/O is so simple, you focus almost entirely on the logic and optimization of your code and how it interfaces with hardware. It really helps get your mind thinking like an engineer. #blutoid

Zachtronic games are to engineering what the farming simulator is to farming: fun and charming without the actual weight of knowing that one small screwup could leave you homeless and starving!

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