Tim Nicholls
@woodpunk.bsky.social
Amish rakefighting champion.
Behavioural Scientist.
Convicted hacker.
Former spook.
Privacy compliance nerd.
Wrote a book about arcade games.
Made the arcade machine manuals site arcadeRTFM.com
Sometimes makes movie props for money.
Too many cassettes.
Behavioural Scientist.
Convicted hacker.
Former spook.
Privacy compliance nerd.
Wrote a book about arcade games.
Made the arcade machine manuals site arcadeRTFM.com
Sometimes makes movie props for money.
Too many cassettes.
If you ever feel like you're a bit weird, just remind yourself that your brain a just a big lump of meat with electricity inside it.
OF COURSE YOU'RE WEIRD!
OF COURSE YOU'RE WEIRD!
May 18, 2026 at 4:22 PM
If you ever feel like you're a bit weird, just remind yourself that your brain a just a big lump of meat with electricity inside it.
OF COURSE YOU'RE WEIRD!
OF COURSE YOU'RE WEIRD!
Out of the blue, in a conversation about going to see Project Hail Mary, my neighbour just told me he'll "never use gender neutral toilet."
Steve, you've got two of them in your own fucking house!
Steve, you've got two of them in your own fucking house!
April 14, 2026 at 6:48 PM
Out of the blue, in a conversation about going to see Project Hail Mary, my neighbour just told me he'll "never use gender neutral toilet."
Steve, you've got two of them in your own fucking house!
Steve, you've got two of them in your own fucking house!
My next MAME arcade machine build is going to have an LCD marquee with animated versions of the original marquee art.
April 13, 2026 at 2:41 PM
My next MAME arcade machine build is going to have an LCD marquee with animated versions of the original marquee art.
Massively improved arcadeRTFM.com again. Clearer and more accurate DIP switch settings, 6,000+ more board components catalogued, do mystery arcade PCB identification by entering chip numbers. It now has one button downloadable DIP switch crib sheets and each game record has much better formatting.
April 10, 2026 at 10:19 PM
Massively improved arcadeRTFM.com again. Clearer and more accurate DIP switch settings, 6,000+ more board components catalogued, do mystery arcade PCB identification by entering chip numbers. It now has one button downloadable DIP switch crib sheets and each game record has much better formatting.
I radically improved arcadeRTFM.com this week. It's now a fully indexed archive of arcade repair/operator manuals plus schematics. It has details for 7,800+ arcade machines and 2,400+ manuals. You can search by game, manufacturer, year or even chip! Share it wherever you think it might be useful.
April 9, 2026 at 5:34 PM
I radically improved arcadeRTFM.com this week. It's now a fully indexed archive of arcade repair/operator manuals plus schematics. It has details for 7,800+ arcade machines and 2,400+ manuals. You can search by game, manufacturer, year or even chip! Share it wherever you think it might be useful.
I've got 2,400+ arcade service manuals and schematics (Atari, Capcom, Sega, Namco, Williams etc) sitting on Google Drive. I've finally built a searchable frontend for them. More search functionality coming soon, but for now: arcadertfm.com
#arcade #retrogaming #arcaderepair #MAME #coinop
#arcade #retrogaming #arcaderepair #MAME #coinop
Arcade Manual Archive - 2400+ Service Manuals
Searchable archive of 2400+ arcade video game service, repair, and maintenance manuals. Free community resource.
arcadertfm.com
March 24, 2026 at 7:09 PM
I've got 2,400+ arcade service manuals and schematics (Atari, Capcom, Sega, Namco, Williams etc) sitting on Google Drive. I've finally built a searchable frontend for them. More search functionality coming soon, but for now: arcadertfm.com
#arcade #retrogaming #arcaderepair #MAME #coinop
#arcade #retrogaming #arcaderepair #MAME #coinop
I've been a fan of Project Hail Mary for years now and I only just worked this out. Nicely done, Andy Weir.
March 20, 2026 at 8:02 PM
I've been a fan of Project Hail Mary for years now and I only just worked this out. Nicely done, Andy Weir.
I have to say that the new three-part special of The Detectorists was a depressing departure from its usual style.
March 6, 2026 at 7:19 AM
I have to say that the new three-part special of The Detectorists was a depressing departure from its usual style.
Reposted by Tim Nicholls
I don't know what you're reading but I bet it's not Tatung Einstein User.
February 24, 2026 at 12:59 PM
I don't know what you're reading but I bet it's not Tatung Einstein User.
Thank fuck the Winter Olympics is over. If I heard one more person use the word ‘medal’ as a verb someone was going to get hurt.
February 23, 2026 at 4:43 PM
Thank fuck the Winter Olympics is over. If I heard one more person use the word ‘medal’ as a verb someone was going to get hurt.
New Business Idea Number 315: Corporate training videos.
February 18, 2026 at 7:05 AM
New Business Idea Number 315: Corporate training videos.
Last play of this turntable (brilliant but fiddly, delicate, and just a bit too 'audiophile' for me) before it gets replaced with a chunky Tim-proof Technics.
ACiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiD!
ACiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiD!
February 8, 2026 at 11:52 AM
Last play of this turntable (brilliant but fiddly, delicate, and just a bit too 'audiophile' for me) before it gets replaced with a chunky Tim-proof Technics.
ACiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiD!
ACiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiD!
Reposted by Tim Nicholls
Why has there never been a racing game based on this?
February 7, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Why has there never been a racing game based on this?
Reposted by Tim Nicholls
Part 3 of my Emulation Machine build is up on Substack - open.substack.com/pub/virtvics...
The Ultimate Emulation Machine (Part 3)
Nearly There!
open.substack.com
February 7, 2026 at 11:00 PM
Part 3 of my Emulation Machine build is up on Substack - open.substack.com/pub/virtvics...
Official Childhood Briefing (1970s UK Edition)
1. Substations were electrified murder temples.
2. Ponds were staffed by vengeful ghosts.
3. Fireworks actively wanted to blind you.
4. Cars killed you on sight.
5. Wearing flares (ideally brown) was mandatory.
6. All male children were called Jimmy.
1. Substations were electrified murder temples.
2. Ponds were staffed by vengeful ghosts.
3. Fireworks actively wanted to blind you.
4. Cars killed you on sight.
5. Wearing flares (ideally brown) was mandatory.
6. All male children were called Jimmy.
February 3, 2026 at 3:28 PM
Official Childhood Briefing (1970s UK Edition)
1. Substations were electrified murder temples.
2. Ponds were staffed by vengeful ghosts.
3. Fireworks actively wanted to blind you.
4. Cars killed you on sight.
5. Wearing flares (ideally brown) was mandatory.
6. All male children were called Jimmy.
1. Substations were electrified murder temples.
2. Ponds were staffed by vengeful ghosts.
3. Fireworks actively wanted to blind you.
4. Cars killed you on sight.
5. Wearing flares (ideally brown) was mandatory.
6. All male children were called Jimmy.
Reposted by Tim Nicholls
You know it's time to shrink down your collection when you find stuff like this that you forgot you owned.
February 1, 2026 at 3:43 PM
You know it's time to shrink down your collection when you find stuff like this that you forgot you owned.
Still very much at the prototyping stage, but if you were or are an #Atari #retrogaming fan and always wanted one of those crazy expensive 10 game cartridge switching RomScanner devices, watch this space!
January 26, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Still very much at the prototyping stage, but if you were or are an #Atari #retrogaming fan and always wanted one of those crazy expensive 10 game cartridge switching RomScanner devices, watch this space!
I bet these guys have some strong opinions.
January 24, 2026 at 1:16 PM
I bet these guys have some strong opinions.
If any world leader would like my Cycling Proficiency badge, just let me know (assuming awards are all just vibes based now)
Terms and conditions apply*
*Badge holders must not arbitrarily claim sovereign territory as their own.
Terms and conditions apply*
*Badge holders must not arbitrarily claim sovereign territory as their own.
January 18, 2026 at 8:32 PM
If any world leader would like my Cycling Proficiency badge, just let me know (assuming awards are all just vibes based now)
Terms and conditions apply*
*Badge holders must not arbitrarily claim sovereign territory as their own.
Terms and conditions apply*
*Badge holders must not arbitrarily claim sovereign territory as their own.
This is the old Cannon #cinema in Hinckley. It closed in 1993. The two pink dots are where my friend Gareth and I sat when we saw Star Wars (and it was just called Star Wars back then!) in 1978. We were eight years old and got dropped off by my dad because he wasn't interested in "that space crap" 😂
January 18, 2026 at 10:05 AM
This is the old Cannon #cinema in Hinckley. It closed in 1993. The two pink dots are where my friend Gareth and I sat when we saw Star Wars (and it was just called Star Wars back then!) in 1978. We were eight years old and got dropped off by my dad because he wasn't interested in "that space crap" 😂
I highly recommend finding a #therapist that speaks your language:
"Also, guilt here is not evidence of wrongdoing. It’s evidence that you care deeply. Unfortunately, caring brains are absolute bastard bellends and like to invent moral failures where none exist."
"Also, guilt here is not evidence of wrongdoing. It’s evidence that you care deeply. Unfortunately, caring brains are absolute bastard bellends and like to invent moral failures where none exist."
January 16, 2026 at 5:00 PM
I highly recommend finding a #therapist that speaks your language:
"Also, guilt here is not evidence of wrongdoing. It’s evidence that you care deeply. Unfortunately, caring brains are absolute bastard bellends and like to invent moral failures where none exist."
"Also, guilt here is not evidence of wrongdoing. It’s evidence that you care deeply. Unfortunately, caring brains are absolute bastard bellends and like to invent moral failures where none exist."
Reposted by Tim Nicholls
Without revealing your actual age,what's something you remember that if you told a younger person they wouldn't understand?
January 8, 2026 at 10:56 PM
Without revealing your actual age,what's something you remember that if you told a younger person they wouldn't understand?
Reposted by Tim Nicholls
I’m enjoying myself this afternoon! 🎶 Found me an old cassette player in the ‘man drawer’!
January 10, 2026 at 1:46 PM
I’m enjoying myself this afternoon! 🎶 Found me an old cassette player in the ‘man drawer’!
I built a #TV station! Well, sort of. I built a UHF transmitter connected to a little hardware media player and it all fits in a cheap plastic case with a power bank in it and 'broadcasts' a folder of MP4s to my old analogue CRT televisions.
January 12, 2026 at 11:07 AM
I built a #TV station! Well, sort of. I built a UHF transmitter connected to a little hardware media player and it all fits in a cheap plastic case with a power bank in it and 'broadcasts' a folder of MP4s to my old analogue CRT televisions.
Bit of an unsung hero these Sony CDit II tapes. They're the later ones in slide cases and they look like they're nothing special but the tape stock in these is phenomenally good for the price, especially used. I've tested them in a Revox B215, a Yamaha KX-10, and a NAD 613 and they rock! #cassette
January 7, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Bit of an unsung hero these Sony CDit II tapes. They're the later ones in slide cases and they look like they're nothing special but the tape stock in these is phenomenally good for the price, especially used. I've tested them in a Revox B215, a Yamaha KX-10, and a NAD 613 and they rock! #cassette