That was 2025! 2025 was the year I actually shipped hardware: the ESP32 Rainbow—a modern, full-color riff on the Sinclair Spectrum—crowdfunded, certified, manufactured, and in customers' hands. The economics were brutal (COGS, tariffs, shipping, CE/UKCA), but the community made it worth it. I also went deep on high voltage, made a 10¢ MCU sing and talk, escaped printf hell with USB/JTAG, built a browser serial plotter, fixed broken gadgets, and even let AI pick parts. For 2026: more ESP32 mischief, more joyful builds, and probably more bodge wires than I'd like to admit. 31 December 2025
Crowdfunding Success - Was it worth it? I embarked on a thrilling adventure of turning a nifty idea into a tangible product — the ESP32 Rainbow, a Sinclair Spectrum-inspired gadget that merges retro vibes with modern tech. With the brains of an ESP32-S3, capacitive touch, a built-in display, and some snazzy UV silk screen printing, it's a little marvel that got crowdfunded successfully. But, oh boy, was the journey enlightening — from grappling with pricing conundrums and the bureaucracy of certifications to the harrowing odyssey of international shipping. While it didn't line my pockets with gold, seeing people enjoy something I created is worth all the sweat... 21 July 2025