iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Brian Dolan

Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

If you feel like donating to the RNLI, here’s a link. I just have. Their minimum donation is £2: I think it might be nice for them to receive a lot of donations this week, even if they’re mostly very modest. Just so they know a lot of people out here appreciate their work. rnli.org/support-us/g...

rnli.org

Donate to the RNLI and help save lives at sea

Your donations really make a difference. We depend on your generosity to educate people to stay safe and prevent tragedies on and offshore. Donate here.

4920911254

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 26/08/2026

Seems to be well set up - no sharp edges on the frets - action low and even, but no buzzing strings. Only thing I've noticed is that the frets could do with a quick polish, there is a very slight friction when bending strings. But for the price it is very impressive.

010

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 25/08/2026

Still has that fresh new guitar smell straight out of the box 🎸 Quite impressive the quality of entry level guitars today. #EastCoastGuitars #AndertonsMusic #NewToy #Guitar #ElectricGuitar

A silver telecaster style guitar with black pick guard, still in the cardboard box it arrived in. East Coast guitars name and website on the box.

150

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 30/06/2026

It's going to take a while to get used to waiting for my film to be developed to see my photos again, but a definite vintage vibe from my #KodakGold and #Olympus #OM10 #SLR on the recent trip to Malaga. #FilmIsNotDead

The multi colour cube exterior of the Pompidou Centre Malaga, with a small (about 2m tall) palm tree in the foreground.

A closer view of the multi-coloured panels making up the exterior of the Pompidou Centre Malaga, with reflections of some clouds in a blue sky.

A small white lighthouse in Malaga harbour, framed by some palm trees and a white wooden trellis providing shade for the tourists walking below.

A view of the La Equitiva building in Malaga, viewed from the pedestrianised Calle Larios, near midday with very bright sunlight and blue sky.

0100

Reposted by Brian Dolan

Randall Munroe @xkcd.com · 11/06/2026

Beam Pipe xkcd.com/3257/

Comic. [Person with shoulder-length hair standing on ladder next to large machine with her hand on it. Another person watches from the ground.] [caption] This year’s physics Nobel will go to the scientists who figured out that you could make the large Hadron Collider more powerful by covering part of the beam pipe with your thumb.

614504524

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 09/06/2026

Choosing colour or black and white for your next photo is a much bigger commitment when you shoot film! #Olympus #OM10 #kodak #agfa #35mm #35mmfilm #filmphotography

A 1980’s Olympus OM10 SLR camera with some rolls of Agfa black and white, and Kodak colour film next to it.

190

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 08/06/2026

Flight may have been two hours late - but an hour from touchdown and made it to the city centre, checked into hotel, and now enjoying wine at a little bar int he centre of Malaga - waiting for my croquettas. 🇪🇸🍷

A glass of white wine on a black table. It is an outside table in a little bar with the lights of city streets in the background.

030

Reposted by Brian Dolan

nilay patel @reckless.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

sometimes you just have to go all-caps in the headline www.theverge.com/podcast/9170...

2342373

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 22/04/2026

View from my work window - sunset behind the Donegal hills. #sunset #donegal #ireland #shotoniphone

A line of hills to the north west, silhouetted with clouds illuminated by the recently set sun, appearing to glow with reds and oranges.

042

Reposted by Brian Dolan

Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Spain's renewables build-out has structurally decoupled its electricity prices from gas markets. Gas now sets the price in only 15% of hours, compared to 90% in Italy. Countries that invested early in clean power are far less exposed to fossil fuel price shocks. Those that didn't now pay the price.

5142431939

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 19/03/2026

I've been playing with a 10 year old Olympus Pen Lite E-PL8, picked up in Map Camera, Tokyo. Small enough to carry everyday, but big enough (with a micro 4/3 sensor) to take much better photos than an iPhone. And with the silver coloured old lens - much cooler! www.mapcamera.com/item/3717022...

020

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 16/03/2026

Should be fine up here, so remote from any problems. Just next door to Greenland. Oh. Oh dear.

000

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 16/03/2026

One bonus of Japan to Europe flights routing eastbound, was this view of the sun coming up over Quttinirpaaq National Park (Inuktitut for “land at the top of the world”) in the far north of Canada. #Quttinirpaaq #Canada #Arctic #Travelphotography #Fjord #PlaneWindowPhotos

Blue sky over a frozen landscape. Snow covered mountains on either side of a frozen fjord are illuminated on one side by the low sun.

181

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 13/03/2026

Osaka Castle with plum blossoms. (Like cherry blossoms, but from plum trees #science) Two tigers on each wall of the upper floors represent strength, courage and protection. And a need to make sure you stocked up on crisps because they eat a lot. #osaka #crouchingtiger #japan #travelphotography

A 5 storey padoga style white castle with green roof tiles and gold decoration stands framed by some trees and bushes.

In the foreground a plum orchard with pink blossoms on the trees. High up in the distance the green roof tiles of Osaka Castle are visible before a cloudy sky.

Looking across a large moat, with high walls on the far side. At the top of the walls are a line of trees, behind which stand Osaka Castle, a white building with gold decorations on the outside, and vivid green tiles.

171

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 12/03/2026

Looking from the street you could only see the kitchen and a hallway, so was a nice surprise to find it was all traditional style inside.

100

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 12/03/2026

Traditional style Japanese restaurant, with small private dining rooms, with some local speciality Kobe beef ready to cook on the hot stone grill. #japan #kobebeef #wagyu #beef #food #travelphotography #nippon #osaka

A small private dining room in a traditional style Japanese restaurant. A semicircular wooden table stands next to a stone wall, and bamboo and paper sliding partitions separate it from the hallway and other rooms.

A photo showing the table, with a round hot stone grill in the background. Beside it is a plate with five slices of raw Kobe beef on a straw bed, next to some onions on wooden skewers, all waiting to be cooked. A white service dish with a selection of dips is next to them.

A close up of two slices of the Kobe beef on a straw bed waiting to be cooked. A wooden label has a red stamp at the top, certifying this is the authentic Kobe version of Wagyu beef the text below translates as Gensen Rosu, ‘premium loin’.

171

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 12/03/2026

Even in the middle of the tourist hotspot of Dotonbori, small traditional shrines can be found. #osaka #japan #nippon #shrine #travelphotography #dotonbori

A small outdoor temple. Dozens of white lanterns with red and black writing hang from the beams above, There are stone pillars along the wall on the left, with wooden prayer boards above them. And a wooden chest in front of a round stone altar in the middle.

A ceramic bowl with incense burners inserted into sand inside it sits on a stone plinth. Behind is a small altar with flowers on either side. And white Japanese lanterns with black and red writing hang above.

A small board in the shrine explains the background: Hozenji Yokocho started as a street where vendors gathered to sell goods to worshippers at Hozenji, a small shrine, during the Edo era. Now there are a lot of stalls where unique restaurants and bars line up at the narrow street covered by stones. Because of the nostalgic atmosphere it has become popular among entertainers and cultured people, and the street is also mentioned in novels and popular songs.

050

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 10/03/2026

Luckily I chose a quiet time to take in the serene and calming sights of Dotonbori, Osaka. #dotonbori #japan #nippon #osaka #travelphotography

A narrow covered shopping street, in the evening with stores all lit up. The street between them is full of people as far as you can see into the distance.

A bright red octopus sign over a store, it is wearing a headband, and is advertising the stores speciality of fried octopus balls by holding a bunch of them in its arms.

Overhead signs in two next door shops, one is a giant samurai head, with a moustache, and baring their teeth, next door the samurai’s hand reaches out holding some sushi. 🍣

A group of people eating in a brightly lit, red painted corner cafe. Over the entrance a large green dragon keeps watch.

110

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 09/03/2026

Japanese Large Billed Crows just want to be your friend, or help you eat your lunch. #crow #birdsofbluesky #japan #nippon #travelphotography #wildlifephotography

A large billed crow standing on a railing next to my table examining whether I have anything tasty it could share.

The crow has moved along the railing to help the next table along to eat faster.

140

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 07/03/2026

Tokyo Metropolitan Government buildings one and two. Sort of puts my local council to shame. #tokyo #tokyometropolitangovwrnment #travelphotography #cityscape #japan #nippon

Two 40 plus storey skyscrapers at night, with red, blue and green illuminations.

010

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 07/03/2026

Yeah, small bottles then big bottles did show something of a lack of imagination.

000

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 07/03/2026

Number two in the series; Bottles on Bars. Izakaya Edition. #tokyo #japan #nippon #travelphotography #izakaya

Sake on Shochu bottles lined up on a bar.

130

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 06/03/2026

I did bring one of them with me, so it’s only two more.

000

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 06/03/2026

The ‘problem’ with Tokyo is that it’s quite easy to end up with slightly more cameras and lenses than you intended. #microfournerds #tokyo #japan #nippon #omsystem #olympus #camerashopping

Three camera on a wooden shelf. A silver and black OM System OM-3, a brown Olympus Pen Lite E-PL8, and in front a tiny red Kodak Charmera.

120

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 05/03/2026

Important to blend in. After only a few hours I don’t think anyone can tell im not actually Japanese with my order of sake and chips. #japan #nihon #sake #mountfuji #fujisan #travelphotography #travel

A plate of French fries with spices sprinkled on them. Behind is a traditional Japanese sake jar and cup. The cup is full of hot sake. There are various items in the background, like a menu and condiments, with Japanese script on them.

A mostly blue image of a clear sky, with some water in the foreground, and the snow covered top of Mount Fuji in the middle of the frame.

060

Reposted by Brian Dolan

Naomi Klein @naomiaklein.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

"These attacks are causing much suffering for Iranian people, and it’s destroying the space in which Iranians were struggling for social justice and civil liberties” - Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi, once imprisoned on death row in Iran. www.democracynow.org/2026/3/2/ira...

democracynow.org

8325118

Reposted by Brian Dolan

RSPB Science @rspbscience.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

This #InternationalDayofWomenandGirlsinScience meet just six of the inspiring women in our Conservation Science department and hear about some of their most memorable moments at the RSPB 🧪 Read the full story here: www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happen...

rspb.org.uk

What’s it really like to work in science at the RSPB?

To mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we speak to six of our Conservation Scientists.

19326

Reposted by Brian Dolan

Humanists UK @humanists.uk · 06/02/2026

Very important! If you support the #AssistedDyingBill and are frustrated with the Lords running down the clock, thereby subverting the democratic will of the elected chamber... The most important thing you can do right now is sign this parliamentary petition. Sign! 👇 humanists.uk/2026/02/06/p...

humanists.uk

TAKE ACTION: Sign petition to tell the Lords not to block Assisted Dying Bill

Sophie Blake, a 52-year-old mother with stage four breast cancer, has launched a petition calling on ‘the Government to do everything in its power to ensure that when bills are supported by MPs & the ...

89037

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 24/01/2026

Common teal duck, barn owls, and a house mouse, all at Wild Ireland - Donegal. #duck #owl #mouse #wildlife #wildlifephotography #WildIreland #ireland #birdsofbluesky

Eurasian (Common) Teal duck in a pond with water falling behind.

Barn owl perched on a wooden beam, looking towards the camera, with white wall behind.

Two barn owls standing together at the top of a wooden ladder, with wooden beams in the roof visible behind them.

A house mouse, sitting with front feet raised to it's mouth, tail off to one side.

050

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 20/01/2026

Always read release notes - easiest way to learn about new features.

010

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 02/01/2026

Thanks - just discovered the film wind on spool is missing - so I'll have time to check the rangefinder before that arrives. Lightmeter readings on the Olympus and the Fed are in the same ball park, so that seems hopeful.

010

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 02/01/2026

A good 20 years since I last shot on 35mm… two new (well 40 to 50 year old) toys to start the year. #photography #film #35mm #olympus #OM10 #FED4 #analoguephotography

An Olympus OM10 and a FED4 camera, side by side with a spool of 35mm film in front of them.

160

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 31/12/2025

2025 - a year of international gulls (English, Dutch and Spanish shown here) and an Irish robin. #gulls #travel #travelphotography #birdsofbluesky #robin #spain #netherlands #London #ireland #españa #nederland

A small gull floating on the surface, with a black spot on the side of the head, and back feathers at the tip of their tail.

Two gulls on the surface as another flies over them.

A gull standing on one foot, on the edge of an infinity pool, as the sun sets over Malaga harbour behind them.

A robin perched on some twigs, red breast highlighted by the low sun, clear winter blue sky behind.

050

Reposted by Brian Dolan

The Verge @theverge.com · 25/11/2025

Cutting-edge research shows language is not the same as intelligence. The entire AI bubble is built on ignoring it. Read more from @benjaminriley.bsky.social: www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...

55725206

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 18/11/2025

Rooftop bar - sitting by the infinity pool - sun going down - views of Malaga port with Gibralfaro Castle in the distance. #travel #travellgotography #Spain #España #malaga #thegoodlife #wintersun

View with an infinity pool in the foreground, to the left is a hotel, and on a hill to the right can be seen the remains of the Gibralfaro Castle.

A harbour with some luxury yachts on one side, a small white lighthouse in the middle, and a cruise liner to the right. Blue sky and blue seas.

A wide view showing both Gibralfaro Castle and Malaga harbour with a few clouds in a mostly blue sky. View is seen over an infinity pool from a rooftop bar.

010

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 18/11/2025

Starting the day watching the parakeets coming and going to their beachside palm trees. #spain #españa #malaga #travel #travelphotography

Four palm trees with the sun behind them. The sun is reflecting off the sea, with blue lies and only a few clouds on the horizon.

030

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 16/11/2025

Thank you! 🐈‍⬛ 🐝

010

Brian Dolan @smarterdonkey.net · 16/11/2025

Getting colder and wetter here. Maybe time to pop back to the sunshine, like these very sensible characters in La Malagueta. #malaga #lamalagueta #gatonegro #cat #bee #wintersunshine #travelphotography

A cafe window, with a large black cat with yellow eyes in one frame, facing a smiling bee in the other.

121

Reposted by Brian Dolan

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 31/10/2025

A spaceship landed in the park. A door dilated. A strange-looking alien with artificial antennae made from tin foil emerged. "Greetings, Earthlings!! We come in..." It consulted a device. "In trick or treat?"

540197