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Fixing Electronics with a Wooden Stick
I’m feeling pleased with myself today after fixing a dead hot air rework station. My technique? Whacking things with a wooden stick! I used the same method a few months ago to fix a dead Mac Plus, so...
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I, For One, Welcome Our New Raspberry Pi Overlords
%#@&$! Raspberry Pi! I’ve been a Raspberry Pi hater since they first appeared on the electronics hacking scene a few years ago. I had no strong reason for disliking the Pi, but something about it...
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BadUSB and the Hidden Microcontroller
BadUSB – what is it, and why is it scary? If you know something about microcontrollers and low-level electronics, the import of the recently-published BadUSB vulnerability is obvious and alarming. It...
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Raspberry Pi 3D Performance Demo
I’ve recently gotten interested in 3D programming for the Raspberry Pi. I’m not sure why RPi 3D development interests me when desktop 3D mostly doesn’t – I guess there’s just something fun about...
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Overheating a Voltage Regulator
How much current can a typical linear voltage regulator provide, like an LM317? The datasheet says 1.5 amps, which should be plenty for most hobbyist breadboard projects – or so I thought. Years ago I...
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HD20 Firmware 0.2: Fewer Bugs, More Emus
I’ve fixed most of the outstanding bugs in the HD20 emulation firmware. If you’ve been holding out for a way to attach huge SD card storage to your vintage Mac, this new firmware version is actually...
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HD20 Firmware 0.4: Write Support!
Firmware 0.4 adds support for writing to the emulated HD20 disk drive. No more read-only disks! I’ve tested it with a Mac Plus and a Mac IIsi, copying lots of files about and moving the mouse in crazy...
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Emu Firmware 0.5: Floppy and HD20 Combined!
Ta dah! I thought it couldn’t be done, but I used my hammer and tongs to smash HD20 emulation and floppy emulation into a single firmware version. No more re-flashing the board when you want to switch...
View ArticleDrag Soldering for Surface Mount Chips
I’ve seen many people look at surface mount chips, with their tiny sub-millimeter pin spacing, and assume it’s impossible to hand solder them without special tools and equipment. I used to believe it...
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BMOW on RetroMacCast Show
Burning through my 15 minutes of fame, I was the featured guest on this week’s episode of the RetroMacCast show – listen to it here. RetroMacCast is a weekly podcast about vintage Macintosh systems,...
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I, For One, Welcome Our New Raspberry Pi Overlords
%#@&$! Raspberry Pi! I’ve been a Raspberry Pi hater since they first appeared on the electronics hacking scene a few years ago. I had no strong reason for disliking the Pi, but something about it...
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Rewritable ROM Disk for Mac Plus
Stuffing new technology into old hardware is fun. How about a bootable, rewritable ROM disk for a Macintosh Plus, using modern flash memory? Dream no more, the reality is here. Using a small adapter...
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Sorry Pakistan (Why PayPal Stinks)
I use PayPal to accept payment for all BMOW products. Customers can create a PayPal account and send money from their account balance, or they can use PayPal with a Visa credit card to send payment...
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Floppy Emu – Back in Stock
After a long delay, Floppy Emu is back in stock and available for sale now. It’s available with a built-in connector for placement at the rear of the Mac, or bundled with a three foot extension cable...
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I, For One, Welcome Our New Raspberry Pi Overlords
%#@&$! Raspberry Pi! I’ve been a Raspberry Pi hater since they first appeared on the electronics hacking scene a few years ago. I had no strong reason for disliking the Pi, but something about it...
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Introducing the Mac ROM-inator
Today I’m excited to introduce a new product: the Mac ROM-inator kit. The ROM-inator replaces the stock 64K or 128K of ROM in a compact Macintosh with a full 1 MB of flash memory, unlocking wild new...
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BMOW on RetroMacCast Show
Burning through my 15 minutes of fame, I was the featured guest on this week’s episode of the RetroMacCast show – listen to it here. RetroMacCast is a weekly podcast about vintage Macintosh systems,...
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I, For One, Welcome Our New Raspberry Pi Overlords
%#@&$! Raspberry Pi! I’ve been a Raspberry Pi hater since they first appeared on the electronics hacking scene a few years ago. I had no strong reason for disliking the Pi, but something about it...
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The Sonic Bow Tie
The Sonic Bow Tie is an electronic kit for engineering geeks with a sense of humor, available now at the BMOW store. The circuit board is shaped and sized like a real bow tie, and is colored classic...
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Anatomy of a Product Failure
Recently I launched the Sonic Bow Tie – the first project I’ve ever designed from the start to be a product, instead of a project that turned into a product by accident. The Bow Tie is an electronic...
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