make. break. in no particular order.

My name is Andy and I make lots of random stuff. Read more about me on the About page.

What's New, You Ask?

I've released a tiny little macOS menubar utility I use to quickly swap my SSH config files between different environments or use cases. It's called Sshwitch.

Side note: On this website, I am using the super-cool Input font for this site. If you write code and you want to use it for your code editor, grab it here: https://input.djr.com/

Latest Blog Articles

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock
📆 Dec 30. 2025
📁 Computer Stuff

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

My thoughts on the CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 dock

The Shed Beast: A 12x16 Wood Frame Storage Shed
📆 Mar 23. 2020
📁 Uncategorized

The Shed Beast: A 12x16 Wood Frame Storage Shed

Designing and building a massive 192 sq ft workshop shed.

Fitness Tracker Tester (& Pokemon Incubator?)
📆 Oct 12. 2016
📁 Uncategorized

Fitness Tracker Tester (& Pokemon Incubator?)

A generic device for... testing fitness trackers. Yeah, testing.

Photo Parade!

Desktop Warp Core - The Early Years
The 2014 Southwest Maker Fest in Mesa, AZ
DIY Workshop Stereo Boombox Kinda Thing
Swanky Chinese Lamp
My Very Own Useless Machine Ever!!! (Finally!)
PC Power Supply Repurposed for Bench/Breadboard/Tinker Use
RoboStocking - AVR, Servo, Motor, IR Sensor, and BOOM!!! Merry Christmas!
FitBit Contest at meltmedia - No Cheat-O-Matic
Foam Core Backdrop Support Frame
Focus, Dammit! Or, How I've Learned to Control A.D.D.
Designing a New Man Cave and Workshop
Office Chair Land Speed Record?
Save Buckyballs Rare Earth Magnet Desk Toys!
Charlieplexing LEDs with an AVR ATmega328
Touch Screens: Some Interesting History and Info
Hack the SparkFun Big Red Dome Button!
How To Compete in Your Company's FitBit Walk Competition While Injured
Backyard Propane Fire Pit, Pavers and Outhouse Project
meltmedia Hack Day July 2012!
December 2014 Office Chairiot Mark II Update: Electronics A Plenty!
Bourbon, Yummy Bourbon!
AC Current Detection with Allegro AC756 Linear Current Sensors
iPotti™ Released!
Ventilation Upgrade
June 18, 2014 is the National Day of Making
Objective-C/iOS/iPhone: UIColor from NSString
2012 Kentucky Bourbon Festival
Dartboard Backstop from Office Corkboard
2012 Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Disney Glow With The Show Ears Teardown
Desktop Warp Core - The Early Years
The 2014 Southwest Maker Fest in Mesa, AZ
DIY Workshop Stereo Boombox Kinda Thing
Swanky Chinese Lamp
My Very Own Useless Machine Ever!!! (Finally!)
PC Power Supply Repurposed for Bench/Breadboard/Tinker Use
RoboStocking - AVR, Servo, Motor, IR Sensor, and BOOM!!! Merry Christmas!
FitBit Contest at meltmedia - No Cheat-O-Matic
Foam Core Backdrop Support Frame
Focus, Dammit! Or, How I've Learned to Control A.D.D.
Designing a New Man Cave and Workshop
Office Chair Land Speed Record?
Save Buckyballs Rare Earth Magnet Desk Toys!
Charlieplexing LEDs with an AVR ATmega328
Touch Screens: Some Interesting History and Info
Hack the SparkFun Big Red Dome Button!
How To Compete in Your Company's FitBit Walk Competition While Injured
Backyard Propane Fire Pit, Pavers and Outhouse Project
meltmedia Hack Day July 2012!
December 2014 Office Chairiot Mark II Update: Electronics A Plenty!
Bourbon, Yummy Bourbon!
AC Current Detection with Allegro AC756 Linear Current Sensors
iPotti™ Released!
Ventilation Upgrade
June 18, 2014 is the National Day of Making
Objective-C/iOS/iPhone: UIColor from NSString
2012 Kentucky Bourbon Festival
Dartboard Backstop from Office Corkboard
2012 Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Disney Glow With The Show Ears Teardown

Maker Resources

A radnom sampling of tools and resources I find useful. View all resources →

Developer Tools
Pico CSS

Minimal CSS framework for semantic HTML. It makes things look great without writing classes.

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Learning Platforms
FreeCodeCamp

A non-profit organization that consists of an interactive learning web platform, an online community forum, chat rooms, online publications and local organizations.

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Resources for STEM

Find stuff for learning Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. View STEM

STEM Stuff
Khan Academy

“Our mission is to provide a free, world‑class education for anyone, anywhere. With practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard, Khan Academy empowers learners to study at their own pace, both in and out of the classroom. Covering subjects from kindergarten through early college, including math, science, reading, computing, history, art history, economics, financial literacy, SAT, MCAT, and more, Khan Academy focuses on skill mastery to help learners build the strong foundations they need to succeed in higher education and in their careers.” —Khan Academy About page

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STEM Stuff
Computer Science Unplugged

“CS Unplugged is a collection of free learning activities that teach Computer Science through engaging games and puzzles that use cards, string, crayons and lots of running around. We originally developed this so that young students could dive head-first into Computer Science, experiencing the kinds of questions and challenges that computer scientists experience, but without having to learn programming first.” —CSUnplugged.org About page

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STEM Stuff
STEMpowerUP

“[STEMpowerUP was launched] to help others find similar opportunities. Our platform consolidates STEM courses, bootcamps, scholarships, and events, providing one place where you can discover what you need to grow and succeed.“ —STEMpowerUP About page

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Resources for STEM & Women/Girls in Tech

Technology is super cool and it shouldn't care who makes it that way. Women/Girls in Tech.

Women & Girls in Tech
Tips for Getting Girls Involved in STEM

SAM Reader Brielle sent me this link from ITHARE.com. From the ITHARE About page: [They are a collection of] H.A.R.E.[s], which stands for “Honest And Restless Engineer”. Other H.A.R.E. rabbits may include other sub-species, such as “Heartless And Rough Engineer”, or “Hyperactive And Rebellious Engineer”, or even “Harebrained And Reckless Engineer”. Overall, some scientists argue that all H.A.R.E.s can be described by the following formula: H[a-z]* And R[a-z]* Engineer, but this is still a subject of numerous debates within Rabbit Academia.

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Women & Girls in Tech
50 Women in the Tech Industry Every Man Should Know

(From the article intro) “The tech industry is a sector dominated by men. You’ve probably heard about well-known tech giants like Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos or Mark Zuckerberg, but you might not know about the equally impressive female tech gurus. Research shows that almost 80% of students cannot name a single famous woman working in tech. To solve this problem, we’ve got a list of the top 50 women in the tech industry you should know about!” (Thank you, Eva!)

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