Technology is great, but understanding at least some parts of it to allow for hacking, is even better :)

Back in 1996, after minutes of loading time with a 14k4 modem, seeing a first website with the Mosaic browser (showing text and inline images), I only wanted to understand what was behind it. Soon after I did had created my own website on De Digitale Stad (DDS). In the years after that, I did grow up with many versions of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, Netscape, Internet Explorer.

Forward to the year 2008, when I got a Nabaztag. An internet connected rabbit that can read out messages or the weather and it could wiggle its ears. Of course I did connect it to my website to show ear-positions and read out visitor messages. Sadly the rabbit was ahead of it's time as there was no Internet of Things hype yet. It went bankrupt and slowly died (for now...).

Somewhere in 2014 I got my introduction to the MCU world: I got my hands on a Raspberry Pi which I used for programming with Python to automate tasks. Soon after, I did run into a Twitter message announcing a Hackster.io contest: The Internet of Voice. This is the real start of my hacking life. My Senseo coffeemaker just broke down and I did buy a new one for the daily caffeine shot. What is better than hacking into the old one and make it voice activated? That is exactly what I did with the help of Amazon Alexa services!

Then Google reached out to provide me early access to their Google AIY Voice HAT. As said, the Nabaztag didn't work anymore, so it was time for surgery; took out its guts and replaced it with a Raspberry Pi, the AIY HAT and a load of LEDs. Now it could be used as a Google Assistant with microphone, speaker, wiggly ears and light. Some years later, I was approached by Electromaker to relive the project with new libraries that Google released. I did upgrade the rabbit with EI (Emotional Intelligence). And you know, the rabbit now seems to be a psychiatrist (or a psychopath?). This was achieved by adding sensors for luminosity, temperature and air quality. Together with some quirky questions, the rabbit could tell you a score of how you feel and play a song that matches your feelings.

On a flea market (Koninginnedag), I bought a 1950 projector for slides. But who still has slides these days? Time again for old tech repurposing! Took out the old stuff and put in an LCD screen (removed the polarizing layers) instead of the slides. I'm now able to play Arduboy games on my wall!

This year for WHY 2025, I did pick up a 1983 CRT TV/Radio Ghettoblaster. Come to the Back to the 80s Village to see what is made of it!