Keir Finlow-Bates
@blockchaingandalf.com
A bit of maths, a bit of blockchain, books, and some stuff about computer programming
Fun pop quiz: identify the blockchain by the MetaMask ETH icon for its native cryptocurrency.
December 1, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Fun pop quiz: identify the blockchain by the MetaMask ETH icon for its native cryptocurrency.
One of the most useful things I've bought in the last half year is a little 1920x400 resolution screen that I keep a Linux terminal active in at all times.
#linux #productivityhacks #terminal
#linux #productivityhacks #terminal
November 1, 2025 at 11:47 AM
One of the most useful things I've bought in the last half year is a little 1920x400 resolution screen that I keep a Linux terminal active in at all times.
#linux #productivityhacks #terminal
#linux #productivityhacks #terminal
I decided to bite the bullet and get a second-hand iphone, and sign up as an Apple Developer. It was surprisingly painless to get my Android Expo app working on iOS.
Once again, I'm waiting for an app store to approve the results.
#gamedev
Once again, I'm waiting for an app store to approve the results.
#gamedev
October 15, 2025 at 9:07 AM
I decided to bite the bullet and get a second-hand iphone, and sign up as an Apple Developer. It was surprisingly painless to get my Android Expo app working on iOS.
Once again, I'm waiting for an app store to approve the results.
#gamedev
Once again, I'm waiting for an app store to approve the results.
#gamedev
The week when you're waiting for Google Play to approve your app on the store passes so sloooowly.
Fortunately, this time I have a server component as well, so I'm spending the time improving it and automating some of the update processes.
Still, tick-tock, tick-tock
#gamedev
Fortunately, this time I have a server component as well, so I'm spending the time improving it and automating some of the update processes.
Still, tick-tock, tick-tock
#gamedev
September 20, 2025 at 5:08 PM
The week when you're waiting for Google Play to approve your app on the store passes so sloooowly.
Fortunately, this time I have a server component as well, so I'm spending the time improving it and automating some of the update processes.
Still, tick-tock, tick-tock
#gamedev
Fortunately, this time I have a server component as well, so I'm spending the time improving it and automating some of the update processes.
Still, tick-tock, tick-tock
#gamedev
Oh, look, I got an email from Morgan Stanley about my ages-old stock option account from a previous employer. Because I am holding no stock, I got a dividend worth “not a number” dollars.
What a shame it wasn’t an integer overflow bug.
What a shame it wasn’t an integer overflow bug.
September 3, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Oh, look, I got an email from Morgan Stanley about my ages-old stock option account from a previous employer. Because I am holding no stock, I got a dividend worth “not a number” dollars.
What a shame it wasn’t an integer overflow bug.
What a shame it wasn’t an integer overflow bug.
A new CursorAI experiment: write a game, but don't look at the code. Six hours later, I have a passable Sokoban clone that I call Muse
It seems vibe coding works, but only if you have a mental model of what the AI produces and test it
I'll write an article about it when the game is done
#gamedev
It seems vibe coding works, but only if you have a mental model of what the AI produces and test it
I'll write an article about it when the game is done
#gamedev
August 16, 2025 at 9:23 PM
A new CursorAI experiment: write a game, but don't look at the code. Six hours later, I have a passable Sokoban clone that I call Muse
It seems vibe coding works, but only if you have a mental model of what the AI produces and test it
I'll write an article about it when the game is done
#gamedev
It seems vibe coding works, but only if you have a mental model of what the AI produces and test it
I'll write an article about it when the game is done
#gamedev
Instant bash art deco:
for i in $(seq 1 $((LINES * COLUMNS))); do case $((RANDOM % 3)) in 0) echo -n '╱' ;; 1) echo -n '╲' ;; 2) echo -n '╳' ;; esac done; read -n 1 -s -r
for i in $(seq 1 $((LINES * COLUMNS))); do case $((RANDOM % 3)) in 0) echo -n '╱' ;; 1) echo -n '╲' ;; 2) echo -n '╳' ;; esac done; read -n 1 -s -r
August 8, 2025 at 6:31 AM
Instant bash art deco:
for i in $(seq 1 $((LINES * COLUMNS))); do case $((RANDOM % 3)) in 0) echo -n '╱' ;; 1) echo -n '╲' ;; 2) echo -n '╳' ;; esac done; read -n 1 -s -r
for i in $(seq 1 $((LINES * COLUMNS))); do case $((RANDOM % 3)) in 0) echo -n '╱' ;; 1) echo -n '╲' ;; 2) echo -n '╳' ;; esac done; read -n 1 -s -r
In this article, I present a possible method for the #centralbanks to wipe out #stablecoins at almost no cost.
blockchaingandalf.substack.com/p/stablecoin...
blockchaingandalf.substack.com/p/stablecoin...
July 5, 2025 at 9:30 PM
In this article, I present a possible method for the #centralbanks to wipe out #stablecoins at almost no cost.
blockchaingandalf.substack.com/p/stablecoin...
blockchaingandalf.substack.com/p/stablecoin...
I said cereal, not cigarettes!
Other than that, the Substack transcription was surprisingly accurate. Better than YouTube.
blockchaingandalf.substack.com/p/quantum-co...
Other than that, the Substack transcription was surprisingly accurate. Better than YouTube.
blockchaingandalf.substack.com/p/quantum-co...
June 27, 2025 at 10:32 PM
I said cereal, not cigarettes!
Other than that, the Substack transcription was surprisingly accurate. Better than YouTube.
blockchaingandalf.substack.com/p/quantum-co...
Other than that, the Substack transcription was surprisingly accurate. Better than YouTube.
blockchaingandalf.substack.com/p/quantum-co...
I didn't realize that the pane with the "game optimization" stuff appears automatically if you submit an app to the Google Play store in the category of games...
#gamedev #indygames
#gamedev #indygames
June 10, 2025 at 7:58 AM
I didn't realize that the pane with the "game optimization" stuff appears automatically if you submit an app to the Google Play store in the category of games...
#gamedev #indygames
#gamedev #indygames
Apologies for the lack of updates. A lot of electrical devices failed in my home over the weekend. Computer hard disks, USB drives, car lights, and even a pizza oven.
Even my backup drive is now toast. It's all rather difficult.
Even my backup drive is now toast. It's all rather difficult.
June 3, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Apologies for the lack of updates. A lot of electrical devices failed in my home over the weekend. Computer hard disks, USB drives, car lights, and even a pizza oven.
Even my backup drive is now toast. It's all rather difficult.
Even my backup drive is now toast. It's all rather difficult.
Another new Google Play Console development experience: I found a bug (that's not new), and so for the first time, I'm rolling out a new version on the app store (that's new).
I also made one of the levels easier on "basic", so it's not impossible on "fiendishly hard".
#gamedev #indiegames
I also made one of the levels easier on "basic", so it's not impossible on "fiendishly hard".
#gamedev #indiegames
May 31, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Another new Google Play Console development experience: I found a bug (that's not new), and so for the first time, I'm rolling out a new version on the app store (that's new).
I also made one of the levels easier on "basic", so it's not impossible on "fiendishly hard".
#gamedev #indiegames
I also made one of the levels easier on "basic", so it's not impossible on "fiendishly hard".
#gamedev #indiegames
How exciting - I'm at 10+ downloads of my game on Google Play. Console says the accurate number is 16.
That's 15 more downloads than any other game I've written has achieved.
#gamedev #indygames
That's 15 more downloads than any other game I've written has achieved.
#gamedev #indygames
May 31, 2025 at 8:18 PM
How exciting - I'm at 10+ downloads of my game on Google Play. Console says the accurate number is 16.
That's 15 more downloads than any other game I've written has achieved.
#gamedev #indygames
That's 15 more downloads than any other game I've written has achieved.
#gamedev #indygames
If the economic stability of your regime is threatened by crypto assets, then it wasn't that stable to begin with.
Mind you, "substantial contagion channels" do sound really scary.
Mind you, "substantial contagion channels" do sound really scary.
May 27, 2025 at 9:26 PM
If the economic stability of your regime is threatened by crypto assets, then it wasn't that stable to begin with.
Mind you, "substantial contagion channels" do sound really scary.
Mind you, "substantial contagion channels" do sound really scary.
Well, I finished the first cut of the game in about 25 hours.
And then today I spent 8 hours working out how to build a production release, and how to navigate Google Play Console.
Caves of Steel is in review. Should take about a week...
#gamedev
And then today I spent 8 hours working out how to build a production release, and how to navigate Google Play Console.
Caves of Steel is in review. Should take about a week...
#gamedev
May 23, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Well, I finished the first cut of the game in about 25 hours.
And then today I spent 8 hours working out how to build a production release, and how to navigate Google Play Console.
Caves of Steel is in review. Should take about a week...
#gamedev
And then today I spent 8 hours working out how to build a production release, and how to navigate Google Play Console.
Caves of Steel is in review. Should take about a week...
#gamedev
Look at that! I've solved the background image scaling issue and the block scaling issue.
And I've found three more issues that need dealing with.
Fix a bug, find three more that need fixing.
Isn't that always the way?
#gamedev
And I've found three more issues that need dealing with.
Fix a bug, find three more that need fixing.
Isn't that always the way?
#gamedev
May 22, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Look at that! I've solved the background image scaling issue and the block scaling issue.
And I've found three more issues that need dealing with.
Fix a bug, find three more that need fixing.
Isn't that always the way?
#gamedev
And I've found three more issues that need dealing with.
Fix a bug, find three more that need fixing.
Isn't that always the way?
#gamedev
Time to get to work on Caves of Steel screen size handling.
I have an Android 7 device (an Honor 8) that just about manages to run the game, but as you can see, my scaling code isn't working.
Lucky for me that the aspect ratios and canvas pixels are different!
I have an Android 7 device (an Honor 8) that just about manages to run the game, but as you can see, my scaling code isn't working.
Lucky for me that the aspect ratios and canvas pixels are different!
May 22, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Time to get to work on Caves of Steel screen size handling.
I have an Android 7 device (an Honor 8) that just about manages to run the game, but as you can see, my scaling code isn't working.
Lucky for me that the aspect ratios and canvas pixels are different!
I have an Android 7 device (an Honor 8) that just about manages to run the game, but as you can see, my scaling code isn't working.
Lucky for me that the aspect ratios and canvas pixels are different!
Today, I have been mostly looking at prime numbers and semiprimes.
Primes and factors are weird, when you think about them long enough.
Primes and factors are weird, when you think about them long enough.
May 20, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Today, I have been mostly looking at prime numbers and semiprimes.
Primes and factors are weird, when you think about them long enough.
Primes and factors are weird, when you think about them long enough.
I missed a trick with this diagram:
May 10, 2025 at 11:23 AM
I missed a trick with this diagram:
Today's discussion with my youngest son about the natural world was hijacked by my wife and youngest daughter due to a misunderstanding of the topic, as illustrated by this simple Venn diagram.
May 10, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Today's discussion with my youngest son about the natural world was hijacked by my wife and youngest daughter due to a misunderstanding of the topic, as illustrated by this simple Venn diagram.
Here's my clumsy screenshot:
May 9, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Here's my clumsy screenshot:
Those values are so close, I can't help wondering if my clumsy screenshot is the reason why they don't match perfectly.
May 9, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Those values are so close, I can't help wondering if my clumsy screenshot is the reason why they don't match perfectly.