Amy Tintera - Reboot

Audiobook Review

Love. Life. And zombies.

This is a YA first person present tense audiobook exploring the 'I died and came back as a zombie' trope. Fortunately, it's better than the average wannabe-writer 'Isekai' project.

100% Human Generated Content - My stance on AI

Amazon KDP + Writing

Today I saw a commercial for a tool that would auto-generate complete books. Including all chapters, text, graphics, layout, everything.

It was tailored to non-fiction, but it's rather scary - at least to writers. What will be the next step? Will there be 100% written - and readable - novels in our future?

Will there be any writers left? Probably. But - to level the playing field - I think we should be honest about WHO is creating the work...

KDP Essentials

Amazon KDP + Writing

My 'to do' list for publishing something on Amazon KDP, including links to sources or sub-posts, whereever relevant.

Read on... or visit the KDP Essentials page...

A.J. Hackwith - Hell's Library 2 & 3 - The Archive of the Unwritten & The God of Lost Words

Audiobook Review

The third and final book of this trilogy. That, by itself, was a bit of a surprise, as these books had all the hallmarks of the start of a long, extensive, giganormous series of books.

But nope. It's a trilogy. (And there's nothing wrong with that.) Perhaps I'm over-conditioned by those endless multi-volume series. I think Hackwith could have gotten away with that, but she chose not to.

Wallpaper - Within Temptation - The Unforgiving

Wallpaper

Within Temptation's Sharon den Adel has quite the voice, and the band has quite the reputation, but at first I didn't even know this wallpaper was actually an album cover... yet I like it.

Also, I'm a sucker for concept albums, so now I wonder if I can find the associated comics anywhere...

(Click on image to enlarge)

A.G. Slatter - All the Murmering Bones

Audiobook Review

This... is a weird one.

Take some dark, gothic fantasy elements, combine it with a family drama and a self-apreciating voice, and tell a tale that moves towards and touches upon horror territory.

FB-10046-1 - Plate Flat Scarred - 2x4x1

3D Printing + Frankenblocks

A very simple small flat plate 2x4x1, marked with the 'Frankenblocks' logo. Nothing special, but it had to be done.

You can find the model on Makerworld.

Not all (modular) power supplies are created equal... Not even connectors or pinouts...

Datatalk

Especially not pinouts!

I have multiple modular PSUs in use, and a box full of cables matching these PSUs. You'd expect some form of standardization, but there isn't. Suppliers do deviate, and especially the six pin 12V plug knows lots of variations.

Alexandra Bracken - Passenger 1 - Passenger

Audiobook Review

Book 1 of the Passenger series, in which the heroine is kidnapped from her own time (our time) and - obviously - travels through time.

Shortcuts to Windows 11 (and other) settings

Windows

I've updated the old page with some new entries. Go here.

Faith Hunter - Junkyard Cats 4 / 5 - Junkyard Roadhouse / Junkyard Riders

Audiobook Review

Faith Hunter (better known for her Romantasy stories) does a pretty good (Scifi) Apocalyptic series of novellas, all titled Junkyard Something.

Frankenblocks - Eyeing the Competition

Frankenblocks

How to combine Lego with other bits and pieces, including electronics.

Here are the results of my search for 'competitors' (not really 😁) - or better put - for alternatives, sources, ideas, possibilities.

Wallpaper - City Skyline

Wallpaper

Just another random wallpaper...

(Click on the image to enlarge)

FB-10043-2 - Baseplate Small Technic No Groove - 8x16

3D Printing + Frankenblocks

This is a Frankenblocks baseplate designed for Lego Technic.

You can find the model on Makerworld.

VirtualBox 7.2.4 - Client resolution doesn't automatically adjust to window size

VirtualBox + Windows

VirtualBox has a few more options in its latest incarnation, and a few defaults are different from previous releases.

Auto-adjusting client resolutions is one of those.

FB-10042-3 - Baseplate Small Technic Dual Groove - 8x16x2

3D Printing + Frankenblocks

This is a Frankenblocks baseplate designed for Lego Technic.

You can find the model on Makerworld.

VirtualBox - Windows 11 install is stuck at 10% on Windows 11 Host

VirtualBox + Windows

Symptom: stuck at 10% when installing Windows 11 Guest on Windows 11 Host in VirtualBox.

Solution: lots of small things, but mostly Memory Core Integration... I still have some testing to do, but this looks promising!

VirtualBox 7.2.4 - Windows doesn't recognize a (dynamic) .VDI that has an increased max size

VirtualBox + Windows

Situation: You're running out of diskspace in a Windows client. Increasing the size in VirtualBox seems to work, but when you try to use the additional space from within your Windows Guest (via drive management) it doesn't see the larger drive.

This work-around fixes that.

FB-10010-5 - Brick - 2x4x3

3D Printing + Frankenblocks

Your most basic Lego compatible building block, the 'Hello World' equivalent in the 3D printing building bricks community.

The model can be found on Makerworld.

Other parts can be found in the Frankenblocks Catalogue.

FB-10035-3 - Baseplate Small Dual Groove - 8x16x2

3D Printing + Frankenblocks

This is the basic building plate I use for my Frankenblocks system.

You can find the model on Makerworld.

A catalogue of all (?) my Frankenblocks can be found here.

FB-10017-2 - Calibration Piece

3D Printing + Frankenblocks

This piece is used in the FB-10000-x Calibration package.

You can find that package on Makerworld.

FB-10000-4 - Calibration Package v4

3D Printing + Frankenblocks

These objects can help you calibrate your printer. This should make it easier to print Lego compatible blocks, such as the Frankenblocks.

You can find the files on Makerworld.

A catalogue of all (?) my Frankenblocks can be found here.

Frankenblocks - Dialing in your printer

3D Printing + Frankenblocks

Combining Lego and 3D printing shows again how much engineering went into those stupid little Lego bricks. I can't print as accurate as their factory produces them, but I have to get as close as I can to make things usable.

See also the Frankenblocks Calibration Package!

Wallpaper - Grafitti

Wallpaper

Some of my wallpapers are just color themed, or relaxing, funny, or have a kind of special meaning. And sometimes I just want to enjoy the urban jungle... (This is a bit low-res and may require WallX or similar.)

Skiddle Skedaddle - Return of the Skiddler... or Frankenbricks? Frankenblocks? Whatever...

3D Printing + Frankenblocks

Skiddle Skedaddle. Return of the Skiddler. Well, arrival of the Skiddler, at least. This is going to be my big 2026 project. After world domination, of course.

(What the hell are Skiddles? Or Frankenbricks?)

Bambu Studio - Filament Shrinkage and Scaling

3D Printing

When3D printing objects, you may encounter crimp / shrinkage, when the material cools down.

Where to adjust these parameters in Bambu Studio?

Old Wacom + Old and New Graphical Software + New (Old) PC

Wacom + Windows

(Mostly notes for myself.)

I'm using an old Wacom with some old and new software. These are notes on how to set up and run things.

Wacom Cable Protector for Cintiq 21UX (DTZ-2100D)

Wacom + 3D Printing + DIY

One of those things where there is no good solution, except ordering a new cable... because Wacom decided to permanently attach a multi-cable to the monitor, and (poorly) shrink-sleeved / molded a cable splitter.

Installing OBS, Virtual Webcam, RSTP, Chromecast and Whatnot, in 2026...

OBS + Windows

I'm writing this new OBS install post, as newer releases use different options, and things were getting a little confusing. Unfortunately, not everything works as it did in the past. That might be me, or other stuff may have changed...

Plate Lab - Cool & Cold Plates

3D Printing + Plate Lab

Not all cold plates are created equal. And many are simply not cold plates at all.

Here's a comparison between several (cheap) cold plates. Note: if you want me to test another plate, drop me a line, and send me that plate 😊

WD Colors for Regular Spinners, and Bloody SMR drives

Datatalk

I'm not a data hoarder (well, a bit, perhaps) but I like to keep stuff locally, so I have a few larger drives, and you know what? They're hard to find, and sometimes bloody slow.

There's no absolute fix, but at least I can remind myself not to buy those f* SMR drives!

Remember HWInfo64's Window Positions

Windows

HWInfo64 is a nice program, but it has two disadvantages:

1. It needs to run with Admin rights

2. It sometimes forgets the location of its (child) windows

That second one is a bummer, so here's a desktop link that make it a little easier to restore them.

What am I going to print this year?

3D Printing

What am I going to print this year?

I have no clue yet. But I reserved a post / page for all my crap 😁

Wallpaper - Lady of Pain

Wallpaper + Planescape

Four different wallpapers, all based on Sigil's Lady of Pain.

If you haven't played D&D, you haven't lived. If you haven't played Planescape, you haven't died and gone to the great wheel 🤔 Yet 😁