How to turn PHP code into a package that will work with Composer

March 25, 2026 | Comment

I’ve learned a lot while developing my php2Bluesky package spurred on by my own desire to make a decent product and by suggestions from users. One such itch I needed to scratch was to take my static code and turn it into something that I could use with Composer, the de facto way of handling dependancies in PHP.

I have to admit that not everyone was thrilled about my proposed move to Composer, as many seemed to prefer not to use it and to manage updates and load the code manually. This meant that I also needed to make … Read the rest

Xteink X4 – 3rd Party Support

March 18, 2026 | Comment

The Xteink X4 was launched only a few months ago in December 2025 but already there is a rich third-party ecosystem building up around it. In this post I take a look at all the things that are cropping up from cases to companion apps. Read on to learn more…

Table of Contents
  1. Getting Started
  2. Alternative Firmware
  3. Companion Apps
    1. Crosspoint (Web Browser)
    2. CrossX (iOS)
    3. CrossPoint Sync (iOS/Android)
    4. Send to X4 (iOS/Android)
    5. XTEINK (iOS/Android)
  4. External Light
  5. Cases
  6. Utilities
    1. CrossPoint Calibre Plugin
    2. Baseline JPEG Converter
    3. XTC creator
    4. Font creator
  7. Page Turners
  8. Conclusions

Getting Started

The first thing that you will want to … Read the rest

Apple MacBook Neo

March 12, 2026 | Comment

I’ve been looking for the perfect device to take away with me when I’m travelling for as long as I can remember. My latest attempt was an iPad with a folding keyboard but this seemed to be compromised by iPadOS. So when the MacBook Neo was launched I thought that it sounded like it might be the answer.

Unboxing

It won’t surprise you to hear that the unboxing experience for the Neo is no different to any other Apple product. It comes in the usual stiff box, carefully packed with the Neo, and below that just a USB-C cable.

In

… Read the rest

Foldable Wireless Keyboard for iPad

March 11, 2026 | Comment

I’m always looking for ways to reduce the amount of technology I take away with me and have long wondered whether I could manage with just my iPad rather than taking along a laptop. When I saw this foldable keyboard on AliExpress I thought that it would be great to give it a go.

Unboxing

Looking at it you might be forgiven for thinking that this is an Apple product, cut from a block of aluminium, but sadly not. It’s cut from plastic and I t’s lightweight, although the latter does make it easier to carry.

The device consists is … Read the rest

Find My Phone

March 4, 2026 | Comment

I don’t know who thought of this but I will forever be grateful.

If you have an Apple Watch and iPhone for as long as I can remember you have been able to press a button on the watch and have the phone “beep” to help you find it – providing it is within range of course.

Now, however, not only do you get audible feedback but the watch shows you how far away you are from the phone. As you get closer the distance updates and the colour changes. It’s like playing with the children’s “you’re getting hotter” game!… Read the rest

How to fit the Perfect Screen Protector

February 21, 2026 | Comment

I hate applying screen protectors, but I know that they are vital to protecting the somewhat fragile screens of modern devices. Maybe you have a device that has screen protectors that come in a box – just pop the device inside and pull. Hey presto! The perfectly applied screen protector. But what happens if you don’t have a compatible device?

Applying a Screen Protector

These steps work every time for me:

  1. The Steam Room: Go into your bathroom and run the hot tap for a few minutes until it’s slightly steamy or do it after taking a shower. This “grounds”
… Read the rest

Xteink X4 Review

February 12, 2026 | 1 comment

I posted recently a video of me unboxing the Xteink X4 reader and I said that I would post a longer review once I had a chance to use it. This is that review.

How I read

I’ve never really considered myself to be an avid reader, but when compared to the rest of the country, it seems that I am a voracious reader. Where 40% of people in the UK don’t read any books at all in a year, I find myself in the top 8% who read more than 30 a year.

I read a mixture of both … Read the rest

Exporting Last.fm Scrobbles to Day One

February 9, 2026 | Comment

Having already written routines to export WordPress posts and Foursquare check-ins to Day One, I hadn’t intended to do any more, but here I am, back with exporting Last.fm Scrobbles to Day One. That’s because I read a post on the Day One Subreddit where someone was asking how you could do it and I rashly said I’d give it a go!

I couldn’t contemplate writing a script to go back over all my 130,947 scrobbles recorded over 21 years so this script just processes scrobbles for the last seven days.

What Exactly is a Scrobble?

Last.fm is a service … Read the rest

Why do e-reader Screens “Flash”?

February 6, 2026 | 2 comments

I’ve been having a bit of an e-reader renaissance recently with the purchase of an Xteink X4 reader, the tiny pocket reader. This is my first e-reader in about 16 years since my Sony Reader all those years ago. Something that hasn’t changed in all those years is the page flashing when the display needs refreshing.

If you don’t know what I am referring to, take a look at this video below, which shows page refresh in action on the Xteink X4.

Here is why that refresh (often called a “full page turn”) is necessary:

The Physics of “Digital Ink”

… Read the rest

Xteink X4 eBook Reader

January 25, 2026 | Comment

The Xteink X4 is a brand new eReader with a difference – it is tiny, about the size of an iPhone. Designed for reading on the go, this nifty little device is small enough to shove in a pocket and take with you everywhere. In this short video I unbox the device and take a look as to what’s included.

Having only received the device yesterday I haven’t spent much time with it but I can really see the X4 becoming part of my EDC. I will report back in a few weeks when I have spent more time … Read the rest