starless @starless@pixie.town

Aaand version 0.4, I guess? 0.3.5? Anyways, I made a vest to hold the sound processor and battery pack and wow, did it make a difference. Shoulder-mounted hearing aid-- who knew? Directionality isn't perfect, but it's a hell of a lot better, and wow, did it make a difference.

Anyways, I put in an order for a small 3.5 mm mic-- hopefully it shows up and basically 'just works' once I switch the audio input in the code. I suspect I might need to do some faaancy stuff to compensate for the mic's sensitivity range, but I'll burn that bridge when I come to it.

So far, this whole thing (aside from the Tympan board) has been really inexpensive-- maybe $30 in electronics-- for a functioning hearing device. Programming the prescription is still kind of a beast, involving some spreadsheets and a little guesswork. If we can get the board cost down, though, and improve the documentation/build process this thing might actually be accessible! I imagine I'll see some cost increases once I add nicer microphones, but it's hard to say. Feeling pretty excited. :)

Today I made version 0.3 of my hearing device using one of the examples in the Tympan library (https://github.com/Tympan/Tympan_Library/tree/master/examples/05-FullSystems/WDRC_3BandIIR_wAFC). I'm still getting a lot of artifacts, but I think I'm learning how to use and understand audio charts.

Aesthetically, I'm beginning to suspect I'll want to build my prototype into epaulets.

Cyberia's first #hope2020 is a little different from what we'd expected, but we're slowly coming online and tuning in. Our online home is over at https://cyberia.club-- feel free to stop by our matrix and chat! :)

Hi. Have another #art. It's part of the same triptych as the moon I posted earlier.

Hi hello have more smol #art.

OK, that's enough capitalism. Have some art.

I didn't have any real watercolor paper, so this is on a little 4x6" note card. The paper is not happy, but I like it anyways.

Crooked River (US, black-woman-owned and run) is busy, but sooo cool.

Instagram sensation Crooked River has sharp, futuristic, crisp, neon street-style vibes. If you're in a rush, check their instagram to make sure they're actively shipping orders-- this is a one-woman-run shop, and she gets *busy*.

I ordered a bathing suit ($50 USD) from this shop and although it took a while to arrive (there was a substantial backlog when I placed my order), the workmanship looks good and the reflective patterning on it is crisp and bright. Despite being a pretty risky cut, my suit still fit my body well and stayed street legal.

Note that the sizes in this shop only range from small (US) to large.

UGOGIRL (UK-based, owned by a woman-of-color) is so much cooler than me. Because their site is hard to find with a websearch, their address is ugogirl dot shop.

This shop has hard-girl vibes written all over it, plus some comfy loungewear. I picked up a long-sleeved, turtleneck bodysuit with high-cut leg holes, and let me tell you, this piece adds an edge to everything I've worn with it. The vibe here is fierce and club-friendly.

I spent about $50 USD for 3 pieces, including shipping, from the UK to the US. PoC and woman-owned, this is a designer to watch.

I did notice that the largest size they included with just 'large'. While their size 'small' shorts stretched to accommodate my 40-or-so inch hips without much trouble, larger folks may have more trouble.

HissyFit (UK-based, ethical mfg standards, woman-owned) is hella sick, though a little bubblegum femme for me.

They've got some rad futuristic, antifashion vibes, they've got some pretty rave girl vibes, and they've got some femme/them fatale vibes. I bought most of the stuff they had in black and honestly? Not bad.

For a little color, I suggest checking out their isolation mystery packs, and adding on an item or two from their main shop that you're pretty sure you'll like. Budget about $60-$110 USD for a cool haul, and expect to wait a bit as they ship to the US from the UK (about $10/package). Most of their designs are pretty revealing, though they do have some very cool high-waisted pants for folks who feel like showing less skin.

I'm not sure what good-manners on the fediverse are, so I'll hold off on dropping links unless someone asks. :)

A month or so ago, some larger alternative fashion brands got hard-cancelled.

They'd been problematic for years, but some friends and I had struggled to find cool alternatives. And then one of them rallied in defense of police brutality and Geneva Convention violations, and frankly, it was the last straw. I decided that boycotting these brands wasn't enough-- I had to fall in love with their competition.

I set aside about $200 and decided I'd see what I could find from more ethical shops. If I can get threads working, this'll be a thread. :)

Hi fediverse! I'm new here. Nice to meet you. :)