Piero Bosio Social Web Site Personale

Hardware is like software except when you make a mistake on a PCB it’s “oops I just flushed $10.” And a lot of organising and shuffling things until they’re “just so” and you can’t explain your methodology you can only say “I let the board speak to me”. Imagine cable management but even more cursed.

Wow holy crap fatigue just hit me all at once

"If you wanna be my lover
You gotta get with my friends"

I wonder if the Spice Girls were accidentally polyamorous

SIMP card

it's not credit card debt, it's debtmaxxing

IT'S A BOOMER

RUN BEFORE THEY ASK US HOW TO INSTALL SOMETHING

“Elly why do you make such cursed posts”

Because if I don’t, who will

You’ve heard of SNAP now get ready for

SNEP: Snow leopard Nutritional and Existential Program

CringeMAXXIng

Every conference has drama. It’s part of the experience.

But I’ve rarely heard as much drama come out of a conference on a consistent basis than C3.

Whilst I’ve heard it’s gotten better, I’ve still heard horror stories.

An international flight to another continent to experience a conference I’ve consistently heard so much negative about is a lot of expense for, in my view, harassment or bullying risk.

Some of my non-white friends are scared to cross the border even to visit Canada because they’re afraid they won’t be let back in. Many are citizens who were born and raised here, several generations in. Some are indigenous.

Do not visit.

Do not move here.

You will not be happy.

You will always feel out of place.

US society is profoundly dysfunctional right now.

An open letter on HB 2321 in Washington State:

To whom it may concern,

I am writing in opposition to HB 2321. Beyond its technical and legal defects, the bill would have a far more severe and likely unintended consequence: it would operate as a de facto ban on additive and subtractive manufacturing equipment in Washington State, because compliance with its requirements is not realistically achievable.

1. The bill imposes impossible compliance conditions

HB 2321 requires that three-dimensional printers incorporate blocking features that:

* Reliably detect firearm-related designs; and
* "Cannot be overridden or otherwise defeated by a user with significant technical skill."

This is an impossible standard for any general-purpose manufacturing system.

HB 2321 assumes that a software algorithm can reliably determine whether a three-dimensional design file represents a firearm or firearm part, but this assumption is fundamentally incorrect. Design files describe geometry, not intent or function, and firearm components do not possess unique or invariant shapes that distinguish them from countless lawful mechanical objects. The same geometric features appear in jigs, fixtures, brackets, tools, and industrial components, and even human experts require contextual information beyond the file itself to make such determinations. Trivial transformations such as scaling, mirroring, parametric generation, or splitting a design into multiple parts defeat any database or pattern-based detection system without changing function. As a result, any algorithm permissive enough to avoid widespread false positives will be easily bypassed, while any algorithm strict enough to block suspected firearm designs will inevitably suppress lawful manufacturing. This is not a problem of implementation or maturity, but a structural impossibility: intended use cannot be reliably inferred from geometry alone.

In addition, any machine that accepts user-defined geometric input, whether a 3D printer, CNC mill, router, laser cutter, or hybrid system, can be repurposed, modified, or driven by alternative software. There is no known method in computer science or manufacturing engineering to guarantee that a technically skilled user cannot bypass or reimplement software controls.

When compliance is impossible, regulation becomes prohibition. Manufacturers faced with criminal penalties for failure to meet an unattainable standard will simply withdraw products from the state.

2. The bill’s definition of "three-dimensional printer" is extremely broad

HB 2321 defines a three-dimensional printer as any machine capable of:

* Rendering a 3D object from a digital design using additive manufacturing; or
* Making 3D modifications using subtractive manufacturing.

This definition encompasses:

* Desktop and industrial 3D printers
* CNC mills and routers
* Hybrid additive/subtractive
* Educational and research equipment
* Many forms of automated machine tools

By tying all such equipment to mandatory, non-bypassable content inspection, the bill does not merely regulate consumer 3D printers, it places an unworkable compliance burden on a vast range of manufacturing technologies.

3. Compliance would eliminate open, general-purpose manufacturing tools

To even attempt compliance, manufacturers would be forced to:

* Lock firmware and hardware;
* Restrict machines to approved software pipelines;
* Prohibit open-source toolchains;
* Submit to state-controlled algorithmic approval.

This would effectively ban open-source manufacturing platforms, research equipment, custom-built machines, and user-modifiable systems. These are foundational tools in education, prototyping, repair, accessibility device fabrication, art, and small-scale manufacturing.

Washington would become hostile to modern manufacturing not because it prohibited these tools explicitly, but because it made lawful sale impossible.

4. The bill creates a chilling effect far beyond firearms

Because the bill criminalises the sale of equipment that might be misused and requires speculative algorithmic detection of intent, manufacturers would rationally treat Washington as a high-risk jurisdiction.

The predictable outcome is:

* Manufacturers declining to sell in Washington;
* Reduced availability of manufacturing tools;
* Increased costs for compliant equipment;
* Displacement of innovation and industry to other states.

This is particularly concerning for a state that relies heavily on advanced manufacturing, research institutions, startups, and maker ecosystems.

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Ricky has sensed I am about to leave and has become an impediment.

Worth saying this to people out there who may not know how surge protection works:

Most “surge protectors” are not surge protectors. Not because they’re worthless, but because of a simple fact:

Most are just power strips in the same housing (dishonest, but they don’t care). Especially Amazon QUANGZSHIZZZI specials. Especially eBay (why would you buy brand-new electronics off eBay). AliExpress purchase? That’s asking for it.

Most sold online are power strips literally LYING or hoping you don’t notice or care. Most literally say “power strip” and hope you didn’t pay attention.

Even the ones at the store. Especially the ones at the store. Walmart “power strip” specials but it LOOKS like a surge protector so you think “I’m protected.” You are not.

For power strips, I do not mean “there is some protection” I mean “we rely on God and the user to ignore the label.” They’re relying on you going by shape and “it looks the part.” Like a North Korean Kim Jong-Un lookalike, not the real thing but looks convincing enough for the media.

Is it illegal? Arguably no. Nobody who matters has died yet, and people who matter don’t usually buy cheap shit. Cynical but true.

Power strips can be fine, if you know what they are and they’re reputable: copper, not protection. Same level as “I plugged it into the wall.”

The ones that DO protect you:

* Should say “surge protector” not “power strip”
* Protection can range from “robust, fail open” to “eventually fails closed or degrades or dies one day” (MOV protectors are like this) to “it might eventually blow open or just shunt a lot of current and trip the breaker eventually… or blow a fuse if it has one… or the poly fuse will trip if it has one...”
* Often won’t protect you against things like lightning (which is a bastard)
* Most rely on rare events being rare and you replacing it before you realise the sins they committed

Now what I usually say is “trust certified surge protectors and check what they are.”

As for certification:

* I prefer UL certified. UL usually means “won’t burn your house down” and “it’ll do what it says, mostly.” UL are pretty reliable and ferociously protective of their trademark. Like “they’ve shut down Chinese factories” level of protective. In store you can usually trust it. But online… “UL listed” can often be a lie. And they know you won’t check. And Amazon’s business model is less “we don’t wanna get sued” and more “caveat emptor.”
* Intertek can be good but sometimes I have seen shit certified by them that shouldn’t have been… trust but verify
* “CE” is unfortunately close to meaningless due to uneven enforcement and self-declaration
* Check reviews and listings. Always. If it’s a no-name, look it up.

I’ll never trust cheap power bricks again after seeing what goes into them.

Amazon doesn’t have your safety or interests in mind.

They’re counting on the fact when your house burns down, you won’t remember it was something they sold.

They’re counting on “this thing will break or go flaky before it gets to the point it burns down your house.” They’re counting on “it will PROBABLY fail open.”

They’re counting on “they’ll get a light zap and probably won’t die if the grounding clearance turns out to be aspirational.”

They’re counting on “well, a surge is VERY unlikely and they SHOULD use a surge protector.” (SURGE PROTECTORS ARE NOT ISOLATION BTW)

They’re probably right.

But “probably” doesn’t mean “always.” Just means you’re playing Russian Roulette with 9999 empty chambers and one loaded one.

And the times it does burn someone’s house down or torch their living room, it’s easy to blame the user.

This is why I thought FediPact was silly:

Threads will self-select itself out of the ecosystem by decisions like this

Anyone who won’t defederate over that won’t be persuaded by terminally online people

You know what’s gonna surprise a lot of people, and surprised me?

The biggest source of BOM cost isn’t sensors (excluding the SPS30 and kinda the SCD40)

The biggest source of BOM isn’t the compute module with the ESP32

No, the biggest source of BOM is… the power module.

Turns out, unless you’re handling tiny amounts of it, power ain’t cheap on a PCB.

eFuse, USB-PD, thick copper, etc.

I understand why GOOD USB-C power bricks are so expensive now.

It isn’t because manufacturers wanna gouge you (mostly). It’s because it just… costs a lot to get components rated for a lot of power, costs a lot to get PCBs rated for that power (thick copper, 4-6 layers, etc.). It costs a lot to make them small enough where they don’t eat your outlet like an old school wall wart.

I'm good enough with CAD now to actually model pogo pin assemblies.

So things I can make now, and do well:

* Italian bread
* Baguette
* Beef stew
* Chicken stew
* Spaghetti
* Steak (if I have a thermometer)
* Cheesy rice and beans
* Potato soup
* Mashed potatoes
* Bean soup (NEW)