John Spahr

Hey, folks! I have a quick post for today. About a year ago, I wrote a proof-of-concept (purely) JavaScript web app modeled after the classic mobile game Talking Tom . It utilized the standard JavaScript speech recognition and synthesis libraries to achieve this. I finally got around to finishing it up, and I'm pleased with the result. Browser compatibility is a little iffy, but it's beyond my control. It's a very simple little project, and I've released it over on GitHub  for all of you to check out. Have fun! Make Ron say some cursed stuff. My "amazing" character design for our boy Ron 😂

Hey, y’all. Today, we’re talking about cars again. Good thing they’re super neat! This time, we’re going to discuss 5 exceedingly strange cars that I want to own. I should clarify that these cars were not necessarily ugly or strange at the time they were released, but they’re not particularly pleasant to look at or own now. So, let’s dive in. Fiat 126 This car is absolutely abysmal. It’s been covered by a lot of big YouTube channels , and it is so ridiculously underpowered that I can’t help but admire it. Having 2 cylinders in a “proper” car is hilarious to me, and I would love to see how terrible the acceleration is. I also enjoy how basic and barren the interior is and that the engine is located in the back. You can tell that this car was not made for Americans. I know that it’s probably a very deadly ride, but I want a 126 regardless. There’s no helping it. The desire will not go away. Is friend. PT Cruiser Convertible To begin, I am not a Chrysler fan… or a PT Cruiser fan. That sai...

Hey, folks! Over the last few years, iPod modding has grown to be incredibly popular. There are tons of cool aftermarket parts and a thriving community of enthusiasts who keep these music players alive. The problem? Prices have gone up exponentially! The later iPod Classics have become extremely desirable, and now it's hard to get one at a compelling price. As a result, I have compiled this list of three iPod options that are often overlooked and offer excellent value. Refurbished iPod Nanos It's no secret that restoring iPod Nanos is nothing short of a nightmare. These devices are so compact that they require expert repair skills to even swap out the battery. Thankfully, people with these skills exist! Many people put new batteries in iPod Nanos and sell them on eBay for as low as $25. Quality varies, so you'll want to verify that the seller has good feedback. Do your homework, and you can get an excellent deal. Aside from the risk associated with buying someone else's...

Hi, everyone! I'm currently visiting Elk Rapids, Michigan, so I took the opportunity to get some pictures. I edited them in Photoshop, and I'm pretty proud of the results. Check them out: Bridge with motion blur. Just a twig thing. Green water. Hey, it's me! Used self-timer. Bridge (in color). Lots of shells. I go to seek a great perhaps. Denise by the water. Simple serenity. I've really tried to up my photo editing game lately, and I think it's starting to show. Anyway, I hope you liked these pictures, and thanks for looking!

Hey, everyone! Yesterday, I did something incredible: I recorded a 7-minute video on a Sony Mavica. For those unaware, the Mavica is a series of digital cameras produced by Sony that saved the photos they took to 3.5-inch floppy disks. If you want to learn more, I wrote a whole post about these things (and included some truly awful photos). Anyway, it turns out that my Mavica FD88 can record videos with a duration of up to 15 seconds. It's not a whole lot to work with, but each disk can hold 4 videos at a resolution of 160x112 pixels. Alternatively, you could fit 2 videos per disk at a slightly higher resolution of 320x240. I chose to record at a lower resolution so I wouldn't risk running out of floppies. I'd like to think that adds to the charm! Recording videos definitely drained the battery fairly quickly, so I had to charge it up once or twice throughout the day. The Mavica also got a little warm when recording. Otherwise, recording the videos was pretty painless! At ...

It’s crazy to think that 2023 is almost over, I’m nearly 18, and I will be a college student studying computer science soon. It feels like just yesterday that I was writing my first Windows Forms apps and trying to get through middle school. Now, with the next stage of my life looming, it’s become even easier for me to get lost thinking about the future. However, I’ve decided to stop for a moment and focus on what is going on right now: Halloween 2023! Unfortunately, I don’t believe that I will be celebrating this year, (busy life, busy friends, etc.) but I did take some pictures. Take a look! Although I wish I got more, I enjoyed all of these shots. I hope you did, too, and Happy Halloween! The smoke bomb pictures were taken at school on a Canon Rebel T3i. For the cat picture, I used my personal Canon Rebel T7. I utilized the standard Canon 18-55mm lens for all of these photos. As usual, all of these were shot in manual mode.

Hey, y’all! Yesterday, I went with my friend Andrew to visit my grandparents and explore their property. Naturally, I took my camera along and got some photos. Take a look! I had a lot of fun taking these photos, and I hope you enjoyed looking at them. Shot on a Canon Rebel T7 with a Canon 18-55mm lens.