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Placing a pair of eclipse glasses over an iPhone lens can yield surprisingly good results If in April 2024 the moon consumed the sun completely. Today it took a small bite and decided to quickly move on. North America had had its turn experiencing a total solar eclipse a couple of years ago, and now it was Europe’s turn. 1 And as London got enough coverage to darken the skies and Spain got a total…
This Canada Day, I thought it might be fun to recount my experience attending the Canadian citizenship ceremony… remotely from my bedroom. I’ll bet if you’re reading this there’s a good chance you’ve not experienced such a citizenship ceremony. And even if you have I’ll wager you attended in person, and not remotely. Becoming a Canadian has been one of the greatest privileges of my life,…
Hello, editor Dan here. This post ideally would have gone out a fortnight ago when it was far more relevant (and dare I say “cutting edge transit news”), but life got in the way (thanks random cold virus and stressful things at work). Better late than never as they say, even if there are now 100 YouTube videos covering this very topic. So, please read this pretending it was published…
I’ve been thinking a lot about my tech these past several weeks. We’re seeing the price of RAM, SSDs and even PCBs beginning to spike, we’re even beginning to see Apple restrict availability of some of their higher specced devices. Even the mighty Cupertino giant is struggling to compete against the tech oligarchs and AI bros monopolising the hardware, driving up prices for the rest of…
Take a walk along Montreal’s Van Horne avenue at the northern end of the Plateau and you may find something unexpected: An unkempt field populated by rusting metal sculptures. It’s an odd place. Were it not for the rush of traffic passing nearby, the silence would make this place almost unsettling. The grass and plants have been left to their own devices, making a haven for insects and…
Well, it’s taken a while but we’re finally looking outside of London and Greater Montreal to visit a station in another town: We’re going to Green Lane station on the Merseyrail network in Birkenhead, England. It was a temptation to choose one of the deep level stations underneath Liverpool’s city centre, but in the end I wanted to visit somewhere a bit more off-piste as well as…
50 years ago on the first of this month in a garage in California, the Apple Computer Company was founded by two Steves and a Ronald. 1 Since the internet was flooded throughout March with articles covering this momentous event and since I’m late to the party, I thought it would be a good opportunity to document some of the Apple items which have brought me joy over the years. 2…
Over on Bluesky, my better half has shared a set of “Made by a human person” logos you can add to your own blog or website. Living in an age of AI slop, I think it’s important to highlight when your work is the result of genuine human creativity and toil. If you want to use them on your own blog, you can download the logos from any of the below links, in both English and French,…
It seems like we’re entering a golden era of Montreal parks. It’s not that Montreal has suddenly sprouted a lot of new green spaces, but is in fact down to a couple of new developments. Firstly, the construction of a frequent rapid transit line in Montreal’s “West Island”. This large area of Montreal making up – as its name implies – the western end of the island can be surprisingly…
Is it possible to recreate this test pattern using a games console? Let’s find out… There’s only so close you can get to analogue television hardware, without a tonne of expensive analogue signal generation equipment and a degree in electronic engineering, neither of which I’m in possession of. However, I can try and get as close as possible to the signal generation…
Automatic emoji population in Things – and so satisfying to watch in real-time! I’ve been a Shortcuts junkie for a while, going right back to the original release of the Workflow app (Shortcuts’ predecessor of sorts) where I immediately put it to work solving a real problem in my life . I was worried when Apple acquired Workflow , but I needn’t have been concerned. All my hopes…
I’m honestly not feeling much enthusiasm for writing this end-of-year post, a state which is matched by my general feelings this year towards keeping a blog. What had been a satisfying passion project for many years is beginning to feel a bit like an obligation, which isn’t fun. But, for the sake of consistency I’ve felt compelled to write the same end of year post as I’ve published for the…
Given Montreal’s status as a hub of technology and science, I’ve often found it disappointing how few technology and science museums can actually be found here. I don’t know why this is, it’s a bit of a mystery to me why one needs to travel to Toronto or nearby Ottawa to get a science fix. That said, Montreal isn’t completely devoid of such experiences, if you know where to find them.…
Welcome to System Stories, a new series in which we’ll take a deep look at transit systems of all shapes and colours. In this first episode, we’re visiting a system which isn’t long for the world… This article has also been featured over on London Reconnections under the title “Farewell to the Stansted People Mover” . Stansted TTC rolling stock (photo: Emma…
It’s been a couple of years since I’ve done one of these (you can check out my selections from 2023 for comparison). The idea came from Hemispheric Views , where you can peruse around 500 other people’s app defaults as well as contribute your own to the list. I’ve added an additional category of my own at the end. 📮 Mail Server Proton Mail . I’ve been weaning myself…
Despite being in Canada since 2010 and working closely with colleagues in British Columbia (mainly in Vancouver and Kamloops) for so long, I’d never managed to travel west of Toronto until last year. I’ve found travelling around Canada to be prohibitively expensive. As we all know, it’s massive with its 6 timezones. It has a poor intercity rail network and that often leaves…
On March 9th 1987, a freight train in New Brunswick (Canada) lost control and ran rampant. In 1993 the incident was released as a vinyl long play by British electronic artist Robin Rimbaud – aka: Scanner – on the Ash International record label. Yes, you read that right. Get ready to go down a rabbit hole. Scanner of Tapes Robin Rimbaud had collected recordings since childhood. In the days before…
Montreal has, it will not surprise you to learn, an awful lot of buildings. And ergo, the city therefore also has a lot of roofs. So, why not put them to good use? Well, it turns out, several rooftops have been turned over to the ares of beekeeping and growing vegetables. I had the opportunity to visit the rooftop of one of Montreal’s downtown office buildings. And in doing so, got up close…
Imagine if a prominent building just vanished from a hill and then reappeared a few years later in exactly the same place, looking almost identical. What would you think? The part of North London I’m from is full of hills and valleys. Being fortunate enough to live on one of several hills, the views around were punctuated by the buildings in the local town centres, usually perched atop…
Ever found the daily grind turns your city into background noise? I’ve found going through the motions of commuting, it’s all too easy to stop paying attention to the environment around you and switch off. Sometimes you need a refresher of the place you live, to remind yourself what it has to offer and why you chose to live here in the first place… or why the city chose you .…
macOS Tahoe and iOS 26 running in a virtual machine… should you do the same? The first public beta of Apple’s next generation of operating systems dropped late last week, and I wanted to give them a spin. The only issue was I don’t have any spare devices lying around, being more of a collector of retro devices . I then came across this article on Ars Technica which reminded me…
Viaducts are great, the UK having quite a few to speak of and some even having such strong ties to popular culture they attract many visitors every year. I want to talk about one in particular, which in spite of the fact it stands at 18 metres high is actually hidden away in North London, there’s a good chance you’d never find it if you didn’t know where to look. In our visit to East Finchley we…
This is the third part of an accidental trilogy. If you like salivating over photos of retro hardware you should check out the previous two parts as well: The Computers of London The Computers of Bletchley Park This time, we’re starting with a unique exhibition. Electric Dreams at the Tate Modern The former power station facing St Paul’s Cathedral on the South Bank of the Thames is…
Train departures at Ipswich as they would have appeared in the 1990s, but recreated using modern technology! This project was featured on Hackaday on October 21st 2025. A while ago I started working on a somewhat quirky project which intersected two hobbies: Transit and retro computing. The aim was to recreate the old Network SouthEast passenger information screens using era appropriate…
It was a weird one this year and the news was both up and down, so let’s see what stood out. Liquid Glass “Liquid Glass” is a subtler interface change when compared to the very sudden move away from skeuomorphism to extreme flatness which arrived in iOS 7. It’s hard to form an opinion on this latest UI aesthetic until I’ve had a chance to use it for a while, yet on…
Today is the Elizabeth Line’s 3rd birthday , so how could we do anything other than pay to visit one of its stations? Anything related to the Elizabeth Line is a tricky topic to cover, because it’s already been so widely covered in its every aspect. One of the most anticipated new railways in the world, enthusiasm has run so high that every feature has been looked at in explicit…
We recently took a look at The High Commission of Canada to the United Kingdom , aka: Canada House in London. But there’s more evidence of Canada in London and further afield in the UK. We’re only going to scratch the surface in this post, but maybe even so there are some places you didn’t know about. Québec House Starting in London a stones-throw from Canada House, we can find…
The other day I was setting myself up to do an AI course, but in a moment of split decision I decided my time would be better spent trying to build something. Doing is the best way to learn, right? I think the first challenge when it comes to applying AI is realising much of the time it’s a solution looking for a problem. I don’t necessarily mean that in a negative context, however the part…
Exciting times in Nintendo land with the upcoming release of the Nintendo Switch 2 and an announcement on the long awaited Metroid Prime 4. Seems like an opportune moment to take a step back in time to the launch of the Nintendo DS and the anticipated Metroid Prime Hunters . Nintendo has a tradition of rewarding early adopters of its new systems in some way. Back in 2005 some buyers of the…
Welcome to the Easter egg deep-dive no one asked for, where we ask: Between the UK and Canada, which country’s version of the Cadbury Cream Egg is the best? For reference, the UK chocolate eggs were bought at a Sainsbury’s in Liverpool, and the Canadian variant was purchased at a Jean-Coutu in Montreal. Credit to Marilou for coming up with the idea and reviewing these eggs with me. Now let…
Montreal often falls victim to overused truisms. It’s the “ Paris of the West ” or “a perfect blend of North American and European culture”. Clichés aside, Montreal does have deep historical ties with Europe (for better or worse), especially France and the United Kingdom which have influenced and formed the city over the centuries as those cultures colonised the…
Disclaimer: This post was of course an April Fools, but Barrington station itself was real and was moved from its original location to Exporail (near Montreal) for preservation. It’s been a long time coming, but this blog will eventually pay a visit to Exporail over a few posts, because it’s probably the best railway museum I’ve visited and still not as well known as I think it…
Let your menubar tell you what you should be working on right now! Do you struggle to focus on a single task, especially if you’re in an environment where there’s regular interruptions? Ever feel you need something to ground you and draw your focus back to the thing you want to achieve in the moment? Let me introduce you to a magical shortcut which helps keep me grounded in a word of…
London is full of embassies and consulates, which probably isn’t a surprise given the city’s status as a world hub of sorts. But amongst them all one of the most prominently placed and visually striking is Canada’s. The High Commission of Canada to the United Kingdom is found facing the famous Trafalgar Square and was designed by the very same architect of the British Museum, Sir Robert…
Look at those… trams? Another month, another Montreal transit proposal. But, this one might stick. I’ve tried to avoid reading any other hot takes on this topic until I’d gotten my own irreverent thoughts carved into the internet. But as Montreal City Weblog noted, this has gone somewhat under the radar as we’ve been preoccupied with more existential matters. CBC wrote a…
A short one this week as it’s been a difficult one and I’m feeling… shall we say… less than ideal. I’ve just published a roadmap for my transit bot . It’s very aspirational, and I’m not sure if I’ll tick off every idea this year. But I think this bot still provides something unique, which is to see all transit updates in one place. Have a good…
I’ve moved around several offices in Montreal since I arrived here, and back in 2014 I was in one downtown which was especially dreary and liminal. Dreary and liminal enough to warrant this photo essay in anti-nostalgia. To put it lightly, it wasn’t one of the nicest spaces I’ve worked in. The building was old. The single toilet, which was shared between our office and the…
Venice? Amsterdam? No… it’s London We started 2024 with a post about canals , and… well… we’re doing it again in this first post of 2025. So, join me for a leisurely afternoon stroll along the Regent’s Canal in London. Note: Most photos in this post date from January 2025, with a few older ones thrown in to highlight how things look in the summer. A Very Very…
Welcome to the end of the year post, where we go full-on meta. This year, we actually have some real stats to look at, so let’s start there. Gathering Statistics (aka: Does Anyone Actually Read This Blog?) 🔢 When I migrated this blog out of Wordpress a couple of years back, one of the principles I wanted to keep to is for this site to be free of tracking. That means no cookies and minimal…
Welcome to Brent Cross West I visited Brent Cross West in the summer of 2024 which is when the photos in this article were taken. There were some parts of the station still under minor construction when I visited. At time of writing, the station has just celebrated its first year of operation, so it seems an opportune moment to do a deep dive! In spite of what recent news may have you thinking,…
I came across an article the other week entitled “How David Bowie Helped Pave the Way For the Download Age” . It looked at Bowie’s pioneering yet unsuccessful attempt to digitally release his album “hours…”, a venture ahead of its time given the woeful internet download speeds of the era. Reading about it reminded me of Radiohead’s release of “In…
When I started writing this post about Ball , the first ever Game & Watch from Nintendo, I thought to myself there can’t be that much to say. Can there? This game, simple in appearance, provides quite the rabbit hole to fall down. Its successful simplicity of design inspired Nintendo to make 60 more Game & Watch variants during the ’80s and ’90s, and to sell 43 million units.…
When someone visits me in London and asks to do some sightseeing, there’s one place I always end up taking them. It’s an attraction off the beaten path, so much so it’s not nearly as well known as it should be: The Chislehurst Caves. The only photo I was able to take was the blue plaque by the entrance This post is somewhat devoid of photos due to the fact photography isn’t…
Before we start, October 15th kicks off Canada Transit Action Week , because transit underfunding is a Canadian problem where the effects are felt locally. There’s unfortunately no rallies in Montreal, but if you’re in Ontario, Alberta or BC, there is stuff happening. But wherever you are, I encourage you to write to your Federal MP, Provincial representative and local councillors to…
Listening to Monday’s episode of the Luke and Pete Show – as one does to cheer up the most depressing morning of the week – I was made aware of the phenomenon of #BritishCore. It’s a trend no doubt helped along by the flood of nostalgia brought about by an Oasis reunion . It feels like it’s been a while since Britain had cultural relevance outside its own shores. Brexit pretty…
Stylised image of 1938 Tube Stock at East Finchley Underground station by Paul Catherall This time we’re visiting East Finchley in North London. Situated on the Northern Line between Finchley Central and Highgate, the original station was rebuilt from scratch in the 1900s and was intended to serve many destinations. But as we’ll find out, things didn’t work out as expected. The…
Warning! This article contains photos of cute animals, some of which have sustained injuries or experienced neglect. Meet ‘Red the Pony’, a permanent resident at the rescue centre Located on London’s fringe, Enfield’s Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service is a registered charity founded in 1985 to home sick, injured or neglected animals. Some animals stay here temporarily…
Your favourite city Montrealers know the best views of the urban skyline are from the south of the city. Trouble is, to the south there’s a rather large river. You know the one; The Saint Lawrence. And wouldn’t it be great if you could not only take in the views of the mighty Saint Lawrence river and Montreal’s skyline without having to go for a swim? Well, it turns out you can.…
A while ago we did an unboxing and review of Star Raiders for the Atari 2600, and inside there was the unexpected inclusion of two Atari game catalogues as well as one from Activision, all in near-pristine condition. I thought these items were interesting enough to warrant a dedicated post, so let’s take a closer look. Three of the catalogues I found inside the Star Raiders box A chance to…
As Threads passed its one year milestone, Meta decided to mark the occasion with five alternative app icons for Threads’ iOS app. How nice. Yay! Customisation! Personally I quite liked the purple variant. If you’re one of the many customisation junkies out there, this probably made you quite happy. But then Meta decided the celebrations were over, and if you’d been enjoying one…