I recently fulfilled a long-held wish and treated myself to a fully programmable mechanical keyboard: the Keychron V5 Max in the ISO-DE layout. As a Linux user and tech enthusiast, the ability to customize every key and function to my liking was the deciding factor for the purchase. My first project was quickly defined: I wanted a visual confirmation when the number pad is active. Instead of just a single indicator LED, the entire block should change color.

With a bit of delay, I would finally like to report on my new awards. Unlike with ARPS and the QSL card, which are about transmitting to the ISS, these are more about reception. To obtain these documents, one must provide proof of receiving SSTV images from the ISS.

SSTV stands for “Slow Scan Television” and is an operating mode in amateur radio used for transmitting still images. In the context of the International Space Station (ISS), this means that the ISS transmits images via radio at specific times, which can be received by radio amateurs on Earth. This capability is mostly used for specific events. ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) usually announces these events in advance.

I believe everyone contemplates time at least once in their life. This fascination doesn’t just stem from Chronométrophilia, but also simply from a normal life shaped by time. One person might be waiting for the love of their life at the train station, another just for the workday to end. For both, the clock ticks on.
My fascination with time was particularly sparked by an article on sumikai.com.
The theory of relativity, particularly Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, tells us that time does not pass at the same rate for everyone. It depends on the strength of the gravitational field and how fast someone is moving. The article scientifically demonstrates this using the Tokyo Skytree.

Alright, steering clear of the usual sparks and travelogues this time around! Instead, I’m diving back into a mission I’m passionate about: making life a little less of a grind for those of us in the IT trenches.

You know the drill. As the year winds down, that familiar beast slouches into view for countless team leads (or, let’s be honest, usually their deputies): the dreaded on-call duty roster planning. What sounds like a straightforward task is, in reality, a minefield. We’re talking about navigating the treacherous waters of works council notification deadlines on one hand, and keeping your actual team members clued in without mass confusion on the other.