iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 12/09/2026

Violets are blue Though roses aren't ruddy:

Chihuahua's Napoleon complex explained by study

Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 16/08/2026

For the next hour on @noiseboxradio.com a chance to hear the show from last Wednesday. Note that the eclipse I mention won't be happening live this time, and if the moon does start covering the sun this afternoon maybe let someone know. Gorgeous music in Welsh, now till 4.

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 09/08/2026

Repeating Wednesday's show in five minutes, with slight audio fixes.. but what's with the extra anthem this time round, and what's a fellow Noisebox presenter who isn't even @ricardoautobahn.co.uk got to do with it? Find out at 3 (though actually the new bit isn't till 3:55) @noiseboxradio.com

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 08/07/2026

Starting now on @noiseboxradio.com , the latest of these, worryingly live and hitting its target demographic of fans of the Anglesey Sea Zoo and telephone dialling codes. Now till 8

I couldn't speak a word of English, the best in Welsh music with Rhys Jones

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 28/06/2026

Preparing for #bdigra, in the company of Crash magazine's Worst Game of 1986. It retailed for £7.95 back then. Inflation-adjusted, that's £25 by now. Put another way, three of these = one GTA 6, and I know which I'd go for. Now where's the Spectrum gone?

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 28/06/2026

Not that I'm trying to hitch a ride from a duo who are far more popular than me, but if you tune in three hours early to Love and Rain you'll hear 57 minutes of Welsh-language music, badly explained in English. What's not to like? You'll find out. Word of English repeat, @noiseboxradio.com at 3:01pm

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 17/05/2026

Another chance to hear this, 7 minutes from now, on noiseboxradio.com, with revelations about the new Welsh Government, a song sharing its name with the show, and lots of sousaphone. Join us

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 13/05/2026

Sunny intervals forecast for an all-Cymraeg, all-Super Furry Animals (and associates) special, the first in a new series of @wordofenglish.bsky.social in precisely 6 minutes on @noiseboxradio.com . Best get dinner eaten then

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 29/03/2026

ED: Purple Rain. SHAUN: No. ED: Sign o' the Times? SHAUN: Definitely not.

'Sculpture made of man who fought knifeman with tusk' (BBC headline)

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 08/02/2026

I feel there's a theme developing today

A BBC Micro loading Brian Clough's Football Fortunes

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 09/12/2025

Musically, performing* a million-selling record, alongside its composer, in a computer museum, clad in a labcoat once worn on Top of the Pops, remains one of the most unexpected yet delicious things to have happened in my adult life. * OK, in my case that's in the pre-1991 TOTP sense. Still counts

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 18/11/2025

Ha well it'd be more a paragraph than a chapter! But it'd at least include my favourite Wil Cwac Cwac anecdote, being that Urien Wiliam, the man who adapted it for the screen (and wrote new stories), also wrote the Welsh subtitles for the Denzil and Gwynedd sketches on Absolutely...

A screenshot of Gwynedd (Morwenna Banks) from the Denzil and Gwynedd sketches on Absolutely, with a Welsh subtitle underneath her stating that she's been pregnant for 17 years

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 21/10/2025

Can't vouch for the exact week, but that was infinitesimally my dad's fault, yielding to pester power. Possibly my first 'purchase'. Sorry Feargal.

The 7" single Dippety Day by Father Abraham, with a dark blue label, in a paper sleeve with a light blue swirled pattern and DECCA 45rpm on its top right.

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 28/07/2025

After 0.23 glorious years it's the end of the current series tonight, and I'll be sampling the finest Celtic-land choices from the 2025 @noiseboxradio.com Anthems poll, in a blatant attempt to swing the vote towards Sosej, Bîns a Chips by Rocyn. Tune in at 10pm and hear me attempt to persuade you.

The words The Celtic Connection with Rhys Jones, overlaid on a map of western Britain and Ireland

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 24/07/2025

It's a repeat of Monday's penultimate show so soon you'll be free of me promoting it. The usual genuinely eclectic mix of music from Celtic parts of the world, from now till 12 on @noiseboxradio.com

The Celtic Connection, with Rhys Jones, overlaid on a map of western Britain and Ireland.

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 14/07/2025

Yes, The Celtic Connection is live tonight, an excellent idea right up till the time a police helicopter started circling overhead. They can never take our Cadbury's Animals though, so grab some of those and tune in at 10. @noiseboxradio.com

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 07/07/2025

Tonight we move to primetime for: super furry animals! Cadbury's animals! And Fish, which is... an animal! Join the human animals at 10pm on @noiseboxradio.com

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 29/06/2025

Exactly like Rod Stewart's Glastonbury set except the backing singers will be attired differently. Find out how in 5 minutes' time, on @noiseboxradio.com !

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 22/06/2025

Today's Celtic Connection (on in 17 minutes, 4pm Swansea time) was a joy and privilege to put together. LGBT+ themed music, and artists, from Ireland/Scotland/Wales+ as part of Noisebox's Pride Weekend. @noiseboxradio.com - it'd be lovely to have you there.

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 09/06/2025

We decided to go along to Blackgang Chine ten years ago to see if it retained its former majesty. I'm sure you'll agree.

A mannequin of a young girl sitting at a table, a TV showing a test card to her left, and unused crockery on the table itself.

A sign saying: All these models have been made by local people using matchsticks as the main constructional item. To its left on the glass shelf, a model of possibly a sled, made by a local person using matchsticks as the main constructional item.

A mannequin of a woman sitting bolt upright in bed, with an open bible in front of her. A mannequin of a little girl kneeling is to her side. Mere words fail to do justice to this.

A mannequin of a sailor, smoking a pipe and wearing a cap on his head. It's... just really unsettling, you know?

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 08/06/2025

At 4pm Welsh/Irish/Cornish/Scottish time: @loscampesinos.bsky.social! And 13 other bands inexplicably not on Bluesky! Music from across the Celtic parts of the world, with one track audacious enough to reduce me to unprofessional helpless giggling. @noiseboxradio.com, in 25 minutes. See you there?

The words 'The Celtic Connection. With Rhys Jones.' written on top of a map, slanted for effect, of the western half of Britain, denoting Celtic nations.

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 01/06/2025

Pop! Techno! Experimental folk! Arguably prog! Coming up in about 20 minutes, an audience-losing combination of music from across the Celtic parts of the world. @noiseboxradio.com, from 16:00 (except Brittany)

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 11/05/2025

What's on at 4pm on @noiseboxradio.com ? Is it an hour of music from Celtic parts? Is the playlist so eclectic it'll cause turbulence? Will @hmsmorris.com @therapyofficial.bsky.social be involved? Did it take @rudenshiold.bsky.social to remind me of one of the acts? Why not tune in?

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 04/05/2025

NEW THRILL! From me, on @noiseboxradio.com at 4pm today, a broad sweep of music from Celtic parts. With! - Glasgow-centrism courtesy of @patkane.bsky.social @stevenlindsay.bsky.social & @tenementals.bsky.social! - Manx punks! - Brythonic crossover from @gwennosaunders.bsky.social et al! Mwynhewch!

An angled cropped map of Britain and Ireland, showing most of Wales and southern Scotland and all of Ireland, with the words 'The Celtic Connection with Rhys Jones' superimposed in black upon it

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 10/04/2025

And it works! Thanks to @mat.tl and a herculean effort from Kris, the curator of Swansea University's computing collection, here's John Linnell's promo Hypercard stack for @tmbg.bsky.social's John Henry (1994), on period hardware, with apologies for the background noises from the fool typing this.

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 28/03/2025

I'm sure @sinclairresearch.bsky.social can fill you in on the similarly Smith's-exclusive Super Programs, only the second word of which was objectively correct. 'Daylight Robbery', quite #whsmith

The cassette for Super Programs 6, for the ZX81, written by ICL. The six programs on the tape (for 16k machines): Galactic Invasion; Journey into Danger; Create; Nine Hole Golf; Solitaire; Daylight Robbery

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 28/03/2025

Shall we remember #WHSmith for the ZX81 software it commissioned? There are worse ways. The educational ones were all attractively packaged in brown(!) slipcases, and even included a category error in the form of Biorhythms, that most computable of pseudo-sciences

Four cassettes in brown cardboard slipcases, all entitled, in orange and white lettering, SINCLAIR ZX 81 programs (16k) Fun to Learn Series. Two per row, from top to bottom: Inventions 1, Biorhythms 1, Geography 1 and Music 1

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 30/12/2024

Honoured to read a tale from @parthenoid.bsky.social on @noiseboxradio.bsky.social tonight, as part of our season of ghost stories. I hope I've done it justice. Appropriately called 'The Magician's Wireless', it's on at 23:00-23:10 GMT, but do listen from 8pm at noiseboxradio.com #NoiseboxRadio

Noiseboxradio.com listings for tonight, Monday 30th December:

20:00 Middle-Aged Birthday Angst with Ben Baker
21:00 It's a Slightly Larger than Usual World
23:00 Noisebox Ghost Stories

followed by Noisebox at Night

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 25/12/2024

Cavalry's just stopped, so now, @traceybinnie.bsky.social's great games, next @davidjcourt.bsky.social's great gems, then "great scott what's _that_?" See you at 5. #cymraeg

The Christmas Day schedule for Noisebox Radio, which can be accessed at https://noiseboxradio.com/schedule

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 30/11/2024

Had to be done. OK, technically it didn't, but

These four images are of an LP at a charity shop (on sale for £3). Towards the top right is the title "Bird Sounds in Close-Up, recorded and compiled by Victor C. Lewis". There are two birds with beaks open on the cover.

An even tighter close up on the bird's beak

An even tighter close up, the bird's beak almost filling the frame

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 23/11/2024

mmm all those tasty colds and flus

The home screen of an app (in this case, Deliveroo) with choices, together with appropriate icons, for:
Supermarket (shopping bag)
Burgers (a burger in a bun)
Pizza (a margherita pizza with a bit of basil on top too, looks nice)
Cold and flu (a white cross in a red circle, to suggest first aid)
Chinese (a bowl half filled with rice and half filled with a battered something looking really tasty)

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 22/11/2024

Ceremony to welcome new users to Bluesky

A black and white photograph of Clive Sinclair shaking hands with Alan Sugar, on Amstrad's purchase of Sinclair in 1986

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 21/11/2024

Expected it to come with a 7" of Old Fashioned Christmas by Madge and Harold. Disappointing

A triangular sandwich package, still sealed, placed on top of a laptop keyboard.

The text on the packaging reads:

Urban Eat
Festive Cheese
Creamy cheese and onion with sliced Red Leicester, smooth cranberry sauce, festive red slaw and spinach leaves in malted bread.

(detailed taste test results: it's really nice)

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 15/11/2024

In 15 fun-adjacent years, I've looked at it academically (doi.org/10.1080/0143...), finessed the art of shit-posting there, gone viral (just once) and tangled with a bunch of howling transphobes who @-ed my workplace in retaliation (to no avail). But now I musk move on. Goodbye grey sky, hello blue.

The following text, in the default font used by X-formerly-Twitter:

Deactivated
Your account is deactivated
Sorry to see you go. #GoodBye

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 11/11/2024

Popped into the university's computing collection to see how terrible the keyboard was really, and yeah, suspicions confirmed. I wouldn't wish this on any sentient being, frankly

The Commodore CBM 2001 professional computer, known as the PET, with a brochure for an Apple graphics tablet in front of it

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 07/11/2024

For viewers in Wales, a frustrating wait for Pobol y Cwm while some bloke outlined Musk's influence on a Trump presidency, in an interview topically recorded last week and cut from 15 minutes to a not very coherent 15 seconds. Still, at least you could see the @transdiffusion.org Christmas card - oh

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 07/11/2024

"you keep putting the walls up" (www.open.edu/openlearn/hi...)

A screenshot of Chris Sievey's 1983 program to accompany his single Camouflage, running on a Sinclair ZX81

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 23/10/2024

yeah, reckon the one on the right'll be fine lads

The cover of compilation album Y Record Las, depicting on the left an egg with a slightly cracked shell implying it's beginning to hatch, and on the right, an egg with an intact shell

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 24/09/2024

RIP Chris Serle. A myriad things to remember him for, and his jumpers were always cooler than yours.

The cover of Your Computer from January 1982, showing Chris Serle wearing what might now be described as a Christmas Jumper featuring space invaders

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 22/09/2024

On the left: the synth wizard of @helenlove1.bsky.social! On the right: the violinist from a covers band who split before their debut at Aberafon Labour Club! Together, we were @thecubanboys.bsky.social at computinghistory.org.uk. Thanks to @ricardoautobahn.bsky.social for a ridiculously fun evening

Two men in their early fifties playing synthesisers and looking at laptops, both wearing in lab coats THAT ACTUALLY APPEARED ON TOP OF THE POPS omg. Behind them, some other computers

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 18/08/2024

Welcome to Bluesky. It's very much like this.

Frank Sidebottom, recumbent on a sofa, giving it two thumbs up.

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 27/07/2024

If you see this post, post something orange.

An orange T-shirt bearing the slogan "I got £80 million in venture capital for my .com idea and all I have left is this lousy t-shirt" and in smaller capital letters below it, in a ZX Spectrum font: "WWW.NTK.NET: IN-JOKES FOR OUTCASTS"

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 21/07/2024

The person in your last saved image will replace Joe Biden in the presidential race

A tweet from 2011 by Ed Balls, simply containing the words 'Ed Balls'. Thought to be a botched attempt to search Twitter for mentions of his name, at the time of taking the screenshot it had been retweeted 15,165 times

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 17/05/2024

Haven't got a definitive answer but Xerox *might* have taken it from Apple. It's not part of the icon set for the Xerox Star (1981) but a stylised Wastebasket is on the Xerox Daybreak, launched after the Lisa and possibly post-Mac too. It's there in the 2nd image, second from bottom right.

On the left, a cartoonish depiction of a mailed letter. On the right, the icon set for the Xerox Star (1981), depicting in and out trays, people contact cards, files and folders, but no bin or wastebasket.

A desktop for the Xerox Daybreak (6085, launched 1984-5). Second from bottom on the right shows a stylised Wastebasket, looking similar to a bin for shredded paper.

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Rhys Jones @rhys.newydd.net · 15/04/2024

This is where I post from

An operator working the LEO (Lyons Electronic Office) computer, early 1950s

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