iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

How about tuburclerosis?

Oregon Trail watchface on watch on wrist reading "ERIC GOT CONSUMPTION."

Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 02/10/2026

About to board my plane, but just pushed version 1.2.0 with a less derpy ox, more random events, and some friends included in the party names.

Oregon Trail watchface showing time (20:03) and text "NAT SAW A RAINBOW"

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 26/09/2026

While on a work trip this week, I started working on a very weird dating app simulator for my #Pebble Time 2 after thinking about how to randomly generated faces. I've got a basic shell going, but it needs some expansion before release.

Pebble Time 2 watch showing a cartoon face with long gray hair, brown skin, wide nose, labeled "Casey Patel"

Pebble Time 2 watch showing a cartoon face with short blue hair, light skin, brown goatee, labeled "Leah Brooks"

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 20/09/2026

Kablooey!, my Pebble Time 2 homage to Kaboom!, got updated to version 1.1 on Friday. I made the art for the bomber a little clearer and made drawing faster, so playing it won't run down your battery as quickly. apps.repebble.com/kablooey_1e6...

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 19/09/2026

I've think I've made the most niche-me T-shirt ever.

Orange T-shirt hanging showing the black thermal transfer reading "WARNING: UNDERGROUND CABLE. BEFORE DIGGING, TRENCHING, OR PUSHING PIPE IN THIS VICINITY, CALL OPERATOR, ASK FOR ENTERPRISE 9800. NO CHARGE. BELL TELEPHONE SYSTEM" with bidirectional arrows below the text.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 16/09/2026

So, I pushed 1.2.0 of the Streaming Village watchface last night, with support for all the color #pebble watches, and I made animated images to post to the store page too. (apps.repebble.com/streaming-vi...)

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 16/09/2026

Don't talk to me or my three sons ever again. Round watch support to be pushed very soon for Streaming Village.

The "Steaming Village" watchface running in QEMU-based emulators for Pebble Time, Pebble Time Round, Pebble Time 2, and Pebble Round 2 watches, arranged in a loose 2x2 grid over a mountain background.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 29/07/2026

Just noticed that the revised artwork for the movie "WarGames" that shows up in Roku search features a book on C++ that wasn't published until 1985, two years after the film.

Stylized artwork for the movie WarGames featuring Mathew Broderick's character typing on a keyboard and look out. In the background is a DEFCON sign showing 3 highlighted, a monitor with a tic-tac-toe game, and some game cartridges: "Fighter Combat", "Chess", and "Global Thermonuclear War". On the right is a pile of books, including "Maze Deconstruction" by Stephen Falken, "Scientific Modern", "C++ Programming Language" by Bjarne Stroustrup, "The Complete Admiral 32-Bit", and "Photonvision: Welcome to the Digital Age" by Ian Cann.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 14/07/2026

Just loaded on my Core 2 Duo at 1754 and it's missing last image. At 1755, it recovered.

Rustic watchface only showing three of four digits.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 11/07/2026

We had a nice rainbow in the Brentwood neighborhood last night.

Rainbow visible in the gray sky, falling down behind a camera shop in a strip mall.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 23/06/2026

My eight-year old came up with this bit. I'm so proud of him.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 14/06/2026

Seeing and hearing the city explode with excitement last night was joyful. I was rooting for the Spurs, but I'm happy with how the series turned out; the Knicks were a team with determination and control and they capitalized on the Spurs inattention and sloppiness to make great comebacks.

A view of NYC City Hall last night right after the Knicks won the championship.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 14/06/2026

NYC Resistor's annual Interactive Show was great, so many fun projects including an AI camera that roasted the participants, a radio that broadcast random sound clips on the local Wifi network, and a game involving working with another player to save salmon from bears while holding a wooden beam.

Glass sculpture Plasma bunnies in green and purple

An AI-generated characture of the poster reading "YOU'RE DEFINITELY NOT GETTING LAID TONIGHT"

A computer showing a map of breakups in the NYC area.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 14/06/2026

That is some dedication to the graffiti arts and sciences.

View looking up at a tall building in downtown Manhattan where a large graffiti tag shows across a concrete wall at the very top.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 14/06/2026

What a weekend to visit NYC: World Cup fever, NBA finals fever, Brooklyn Pride parade, Puerto Rico Day, and the NYC Resistor Interactive Party. Wow!

School kids from local Brooklyn elementary at the Brooklyn Pride parade through Park Slope's 5th Avenue.

Grand Marshall at the Brooklyn Pride parade through Park Slope's 5th Avenue.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 13/06/2026

Starting today off with a visit to the Intrepid museum.

Ben stands in a black t-shirt in front of the Intrepid aircraft carrier.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 12/06/2026

Dear @asym.bsky.social, I found where all the pastamancers are hanging out in Tribeca.

Storefront on NYC street, sign above doorways reads "KOL NOODLE (halal)"

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 12/06/2026

About to enjoy an amazing meal at my favorite restaurant in NYC, Dirt Candy.

Menu. accessible version at https://www.dirtcandynyc.com/dinner-menu

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 01/06/2026

If you've been wondering where OpenAI and Anthropic have been getting their wares, I think this picture clears things up a bit.

Cropped photo of back of semi trailer with Texas licence tag marking it as "TOKEN TRAILER"

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 31/05/2026

I was at @vcfsw.bsky.social on Saturday until mid-afternoon. The presentation on the FPGA re-creation of the Apple Lisa was a highlight, but also enjoyed learning about the relaunch of Compute's Gazette and the 12-year history of the Tandy Coco magazine The Rainbow.

Presentation slide about The Rainbow's third anniversary with the cover of the birthday issue and a shot of the building were the 50-odd staffers who made the magazine worked.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 30/05/2026

So far at @vcfsw.bsky.social I've seen amazing vector display computers, seen a presentation on Soviet core memory, found a rare Atari 8-bit cart for my collection, learned about BASIC piracy in the 1970s, and taken a picture of hardware a friend worked on in the early 90s.

Title slide of the talk "1-Bit of Soviet Core Memory" presented by Mark Frederick

A 90s era Mac with a Radius Pivot display showing flying toasters in monochrome.

A Teltronics 4051 showing a vector drawing of Darth Vader. The screen is a memory phosphor that retains the image as the electron beam draws it.

A collection of Palm, Windows Mobile, Sony, Handspring, and other handhelds.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 23/05/2026

I've started assembling key chains for the @nycresistor@mastodon.social Interactive Show. If you're in the NYC area, make plans to come out and see all the cool exhibits on June 13th. www.nycresistor.com/2026/05/15/j...

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 19/05/2026

Today is a good day to vote. #voteEarly #texas! Vote in solidarity with voters in Oregon and Georgia.

Ben looks at camera wearing a Hackaday Supercon t-shirt with an "I voted early!" sticker.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 17/05/2026

Third time visiting the awesome Ahn Em on Anderson Lane. A fresh take on Vietnamese with awesome vegan stuff, including smokey grilled tofu on the bun and bahn mi. Check it out! #vegOut #atx

Grilled tofu spring rolls with peanut sauce

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 14/05/2026

Here's a (sub-quorum) group picture of the commissioners who were their in person, with Commissioner Milena Pribic of District 10 as primary author.

Commissioners Steven Apodaca, Milena Pribic, Carina Alderete, and Ben Combee stand in front of the US, Texas, and Austin flags holding a copy of their newly passed city council recommendation.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 13/05/2026

Saw this license plate this morning... So close, just off by 100.

Texas licence plate on gray car reading "THX 1038"

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 28/04/2026

And here is Mines of Moria played on a VT220 nearby.

A VT220 terminal with yellow phosphors showing the game MORIA.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 28/04/2026

Sunday at #MidwestGamingClassic was a little slower paced, and I got to spent quality time in the computer museum. Here's an ADM3A terminal hooked up to a computer playing the original Rogue.

Baby blue colored computer terminal with white phosphor CRT screen and custom keyboard. On screen are a few rooms rendered in ASCII showing a dungeon being explored.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 27/04/2026

I missed the panel, but did find a working Jaguar this afternoon at the event and played a pretty good game, considering I'm out of practice.

Monitor showing end screen for Tempest 2K. Game Over is floating an a background of multicolored copies of the text. The score in the top corner is 206146.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 01/04/2026

From the makers of Chia Head and Chia Pet...

Sign from Chinese restaurant with some letters not lit saying "CHI A FAMI"

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 29/03/2026

Just a rainbow unicorn and bald eagle having a civic discourse at Austin's #NoKings protest this afternoon.

Two people in inflatable costumes, one a white unicorn with blue chest and a rainbow horn, the other a bald eagle with bright orange beak, white head, and brown body. They are outside under a tree with the back of a bicycle in the foreground.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 29/03/2026

My middle kid made this crown with slash today at the #nokings protest in Austin. It ended up in the middle of a big display of attendee art.

Child holding a card with a yellow crown and a bright red diagonal line running across it.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 24/03/2026

Hearing @bcantrill.bsky.social on latest Oxide and Friends reminded me of the back of this swag hoodie we got a few years ago.

Purple cloth with white text:

EST. 2002

Roku

Teamwork Makes the Stream Work

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 27/02/2026

Local indoor playground has been creative in avoiding trademark infringement for their events.

"Come Swing Into Fun with SPIDER HERO / NIGHTLINE HERO" on banner featuring Spiderman and Miles Morales.

"A Snowy Surprise Awaits. Meet the Snow Queen & Snowban" for an event flier featuring actors dressed as characters from Frozen.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 21/02/2026

My Arduboy FX-C arrived today, and I'm very happy with the build quality, and it's got my two released games right at the top of the Arcade category. You can still order this edition from arduboy.com, but it's close to selling out.

Arduboy FX-C sitting on its box where it's perfectly matched with the picture below it. The handheld is gray with purple A/B buttons and a black D-pad button arrangement.

Handheld shot showing off the USB-C connector on its bottom, a nice upgrade over the micro-B connectors of previous units.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 29/01/2026

The travel safety app I installed for a work trip next week just told me about the anti-ICE rally in Austin on Saturday. Thanks for the reminder!

from Riskline

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Anti-ICE rally planned on 31 January in Austin, Texas

Moderate Risk

tomorrow. 5km away

Summary

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Anti-ICE rally planned on 31 January in Austin, Texas

Local media reported that anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activists will rally in Pan American Neighborhood Park (2100 E 3rd Street) in Austin, Texas, from 15:00 local time (21:00 GMT) on 31 January.

ADVICE: Anticipate heightened security and associated disruptions at the rally site on 31 January. Plot route bypasses. Avoid all protests.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 03/01/2026

Just before Christmas, I finally put up the amazing Fibbinocci spiral flower light sculpture that I got from @evilgeniuslabs.org. Visitors to the house have raved about its patterns and how it adds a pleasant accent to our family den.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 01/01/2026

New years eve early bowling with the kids; the K-Pop singers dance while the PA plays the jazzy version of Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl".

TV mounted above bowing ally showing K-Pop stars from the New Years Eve show.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 21/11/2025

Keep passing this poster at my office and thinking, man, that guy has a lot of machetes.

Movie poster on the wall for the film "Machete" starring Danny Trejo. It shows the main character opening his coat to show a large collection of knives, large and small.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 08/11/2025

All set up for cup and shirt sales at the Violet Crown Oktober(ish)fest here in Austin's Brentwood/Crestview neighborhoods. Details at VioletCrownCommunity.org.

A table full of color changing cups, water bottles, and beer steins in black, navy, charcoal, and white.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 03/11/2025

Fired up a GitHub workspace and managed to get my old Ravine Despoiler watchface project built and deployed to the #pebble Duo 2. It still needs work before I can post on the store, but I could reuse code that I wrote for my Arduboy port to get the bomb animation going.

In a Pebble watchface running on my wrist, a blimp and biplane fly over an canyon filled with boulders, the darker ones spelling out the current time.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 30/10/2025

Feels nice to be wearing a Pebble watch again. Thanks @ericmigi.com and @repebble.com

Picture of a new Pebble Core Duo 2 watch on my wrist running the Reflow watchface by Lignite. It shows the time as 11:22 am.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 23/10/2025

My kids and I came up with a nickname for the self-driving cars that are flooding Austin. I originally proposed "ghost taxi", which led to the holiday-appropriate term Boo-ber.

White-painted Waymo-branded self-driving taxi spotted in north Austin while in traffic. The car's roof and corner sensors are visible, as well as rear-facing camera and an Uber sticker.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 13/10/2025

Oldest son and I were given tickets to this afternoon's #iLuminate show at Bass Concert Hall. I had no idea what to expect, and while I found the music selection a bit mid, the choreography and EL wire effects were top-notch. Just wished they'd got some Daft Punk representation in there.

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 09/10/2025

I hope the B-52's are getting paid for this terrible cover that plays over and over on the TV at my hotel

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Ben Combee @unwiredben.combee.net · 09/10/2025

Just back from a CalTrain ride to Sunnyvale to dine at Dishdash, a favorite since I started traveling here in the early 2000s. Their lentil soup is yummy and the vegetarian zahar (grilled cauliflower, aged yogurt, onions, garlic) served on a bed of freekeh, is so filling and flavorful.

The window at the front of the restaurant Dishdash, showing their neon sign formed in Arabesque letters.

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