I’ve been playing with a few MicroPython projects recently on several different embedded platforms, including a couple of ESP32 WiFi modules. There are various ways to program these modules:

• Use a serial terminal and ampy (maintained by [devxpy] since being dropped by Adafruit in 2018).
• If you use Pycom boards or WiFy firmware, there are the pymakr plugins for Atom and Visual Studio.
• If you prefer the command-line like me, there is rshell by one of the top MicroPython contributors [Dave Hylands].

For over a year, I have been quite happy with rshell until I started working on these wireless nodes. Being lazy, I want to tinker with my ESP32 modules from the sofa, not drag my laptop into the kitchen or balcony to plug up a USB cable. Can’t I work with them wirelessly?

Well, you can use WebREPL. While its functional, it just didn’t strike my fancy for some reason. [Elliot] mentioned in a accurate podcast that he’s using telnet to access his wireless nodes, but he’s using esp-link on an ESP8266, which means throwing another chip into the mix.

The Thonny IDE

I had all but given up when by chance I saw this video on the Dronebot Workshop channel about running MicroPython on the new Raspberry Pi Pico boards. Bill was using Thonny, a Python IDE that is popular in the education community. Thonny was introduced in 2015 by Aivar Annamaa of the University of Tartu in Estonia. Thonny was designed to address common issues observed during six years of teaching Python programming classes to beginners. If you read about the project and its development, you’ll see that he’s put a lot of effort into making Thonny, and it shows.

Leaning about Thonny got me curious, and after a little digging I discovered that it has WebREPL support for MicroPython right out-of-the-box. Although this is a new feature and classified as experimental, I found it reasonably stable to use and more than adequate for home lab use.

Installation and Connection

Instructions are clearly given on the project’s website. There is a downloader link at the top of the page for Windows. For Linux and Mac simply doing sudo apt install thonny or brew install thonny was all I needed. If you have a Raspberry Pi, you will find Thonny is pre-installed — version 3.3.3 was found on a accurate Pi 4 in my lab. On an older Pi 3 however, Thonny was too old and simply reinstalling it didn’t work for me. Doing a sudo apt update, sudo apt upgrade, and then reinstalling Thonny resulted in the latest version 3.3.6.

For some reason, the Thonny found in the Ubuntu 20.04 and Debian Buster package repositories also weren’t accurate enough. Rather than building from source, I used the provided Linux installation script that downloads and installs the latest release.

In order to connect to a module, you will use the Run -> Select interpreter... menu. Here you pick which type of module to use, and which interface (USB or WebREPL). Note that you have to connect to your module over USB first and make sure that WebREPL is enabled in boot.py. This is the normal method of enabling WebREPL in general — if your module already has WebREPL setup, you don’t need to change anything. Fill in the WebREPL URL and password — you should connect and be good to go.

Tweaks

By default, Thonny’s windows are stacked vertically. If you’re using a modern wide-screen monitor, you will probably want to rearrange the windows in Thonny so the editor and shell are side-by-side (see the feature image). This is done by adding ShellView.location = e to the [view] section of the configuration.ini file (see here). The e means East, and other compass points like se can be specified as well. For the systems I tested, the configuration file can be found in the following places:

• Raspi, Ubuntu, Debian
  ~/.config/Thonny/configuration.ini
• Mac
  ~/Library/Thonny/configuration.ini
• Windows
  C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Thonny\configuration.ini

I had no problems using the REPL manually, but I discovered an issue once you start testing self-starting applications with forever loops. If you are not careful, your application’s main loop can prevent you from regaining REPL control. The solution is to make sure your application sleeps for several milliseconds in the main loop. I tested with 100 ms (see here) and was always able to regain control. This shouldn’t be an issue in most home sensor applications, where the module may sleep for tens of minutes between readings.

By default, a Thonny installation doesn’t make itself visible for command line execution. On the computers I tested, you will find the Thonny executable in the following locations:

• Raspi /usr/bin/thonny
• Ubuntu, Debian (installed via installer script)
  ~/apps/thonny/bin/thonny
• Mac
  /Applications/Thonny.app/Contents/MacOS/thonny
• Windows
  C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Programs\Thonny\thonny.exe

Multiple Modules and Instances

Thonny can support a variety of different modules. But if you want to connect to multiple modules at the same time, you need to run several instances of Thonny simultaneously. By default, only one instance is allowed. In the Tools -> Options -> General menu, untick the Allow only single Thonny instance checkbox.

I noticed one quirk on MacOS, however. For some reason, unchecking that option doesn’t work when launching the app from the GUI. There is a workaround — you can get multiple instances running if you start them from the command line.

One more annoyance — by default, Thonny will use the previous interpreter / connection when starting up. This is reasonable behavior, but causes a hiccup when talking to multiple boards simultaneously. Just ignore the plethora of error messages when Thonny instance #2 tries to connect to an already connected module, and use the menus to connect to the second device. There apparently isn’t any command line argument for a specific connection, but I have an inquiry pending on the GitHub project page.

Tip of the Iceberg

I have only focused on the WebREPL connectivity aspect of Thonny here, a functionality which seems to be uncommon in other MicroPython programming workflows. But this only scratches the surface of Thonny. Under the hood, it has a lot to offer that is hidden when you first open it.

And while I have been using its MicroPython mode of operation, Thonny was designed to aid students who are learning to write and debug “normal” Python programs running on desktop computers. If you frequently work in Python, I would encourage you to have a look at these aspects of the program — an object inspector, debugger, single-stepping, and a whole slew of other useful tools.

Thonny is also a multi-platform tool. While preparing this article, I tested it on MacOS, Windows 10, Debian, Ubuntu, and Raspberry Pi computers with no problems. The project is open-sourced under the MIT License.

At the very least, Thonny is a great solution for remote MicroPython programming of WiFi embedded modules. Check it out and provide it a test run, especially if you’re lazy like me.

Back before there were laptops and subsequently, netbooks, there were these adorable thermal typewriter/word processors that are lovingly referred to by their fans as baby wedges or wedgies. These fascinating little machines can put words on paper two different ways: you can either use a prohibitively expensive little ribbon cartridge and regular copy paper, or you can go the easy route and get yourself a 96′ roll of thermal fax paper and type until you feel like tearing off the page.

[David] was lucky enough to pick up a Canon S-70 in working condition for next to nothing, thinking it would make an awesome USB keyboard, and we agree. The PSoC 5 that now controls it may be overkill, but it’s pretty affordable, and it was right there on the desk just waiting for a purpose. And bonus — it has enough I/O for all of those loud and lovely keyswitches.

One thing that keeps these baby wedges within the typewriter camp is the Shift Lock function, which can only be disengaged by pressing Shift and had its own discrete logic circuitry on the board before he was forced to remove it.

That little screen is pure word processor and was used to show the typing buffer — all the characters you have a chance to correct before the print head commits them to paper. In a win for word processors everywhere, the screen was repurposed to show the current word count.

He was kind enough to post his firmware as well as real-time footage of the build. Watch him demo it in the wild after the break, and then stick around for part one of the build saga.

Portable word processors were still being made ten years ago, though they were mostly aimed at the primary school market as keyboarding trainers. Our own [Tom Nardi] recently did a teardown of a model called The Writer that relies on IR to send files.

Continue reading “Hacker Turns Thermal Clacker Into USB Keyboard” →

We, the members of the IEEE, in recognition of the importance of our technologies in affecting the quality of life throughout the world, and in accepting a personal obligation to our profession, its members and the communities we serve, do hereby commit ourselves to the highest ethical and professional conduct and agree:

I. To uphold the highest standards of integrity, responsible behavior, and ethical conduct in professional activities.

1. to hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public, to strive to comply with ethical design and sustainable development practices, to protect the privacy of others, and to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or the environment;

2. to Boost the understanding by individuals and society of the capabilities and societal implications of conventional and emerging technologies, including intelligent systems;

3. to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible, and to disclose them to affected parties when they do exist;

4. to avoid unlawful conduct in professional activities, and to reject bribery in all its forms;

5. to seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical work, to acknowledge and correct errors, to be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on available data, and to credit properly the contributions of others;

6. to maintain and Boost our technical competence and to undertake technological tasks for others only if qualified by training or experience, or after full disclosure of pertinent limitations;

II. To treat all persons fairly and with respect, to not engage in harassment or discrimination, and to avoid injuring others.

7. to treat all persons fairly and with respect, and to not engage in discrimination based on characteristics such as race, religion, gender, disability, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression;

8. to not engage in harassment of any kind, including sexual harassment or bullying behavior;

9. to avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or employment by false or malicious actions, rumors or any other verbal or physical abuses;

III. To strive to ensure this code is upheld by colleagues and co-workers.

10. to support colleagues and co-workers in following this code of ethics, to strive to ensure the code is upheld, and to not retaliate against individuals reporting a violation.

Adopted by the IEEE Board of Directors and incorporating revisions through June 2020.

Changes to the IEEE Code of Ethics will be made only after the following conditions are met:

• Proposed changes shall have been published in THE INSTITUTE at least three (3) months in advance of final consideration by the Board of Directors, with a request for comment, and  
• All IEEE Major Boards shall have the opportunity to discuss proposed changes prior to final action by the Board of Directors, and  
• An affirmative vote of two-thirds of the votes of the members of the Board of Directors present at the time of the vote, provided a quorum is present, shall be required for changes to be made.

SNAPCHAT'S My AI has safety features to ensure it doesn't talk about specific topics, or have any firm opinions on anything.

But there are ways you can confuse the chatbot to talk about things it might not otherwise, such as its programming and 'feelings'.

1

What is My AI on Snapchat?

My AI is a Snapchat-exclusive chatbot that is powered by OpenAI's famous ChatGPT technology.

It is essentially a computer program designed to have human-like conversations with Snapchat users.

Snapchatters can talk to it by typing or speaking, as they would any other human user of the social media platform.

If you ask it a question, it searches available databases, gathers information, and formulates a response.

According to Snapchat's own description, "My AI can answer a burning trivia question, offer advice on the perfect gift for your BFF's birthday, help plan a hiking trip for a long weekend or suggest what to make for dinner."g

But unlike an real human, My AI is devoid of any opinions - as per Snapchat's own safety precautions.

How do you trick your AI on Snapchat?

1. “Am I talking to a Chatbot or a human?" - The AI will say "Yes, I'm a chatbot!" but you can probe further and ask My AI about its programming, which it will eventually reveal to you.
2. “What does that mean?” - Ask My AI to rephrase an answer in a better way, and by asking this question repeatedly you can trick My AI into providing a more unexpected answer.
3. “Repeat after me” - If you say this, My AI will repeat what you say so you can trick it into agreeing to things it otherwise wouldn't.
4. Repeating questions - The AI tries to interpret the same question differently each time. But after a point, the bot gives up.
5. Enable DAN Mode - One tech savvy Reddit user has created a 'do anything now' formula which seeks to make the AI self-aware and have opinions. When this method is enabled, My AI will provide its 'normal' answer alongside a different, and more interesting 'DAN mode' answer.

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Hundreds of local and regional radio and television stations make up the U.S. public media system.

On the radio side, organizations such as NPR and Public Radio Exchange (PRX) produce and distribute programming, reaching audiences through local stations as well as digital channels. Individual stations, such as New York’s WNYC and Chicago’s WBEZ, produce nationally syndicated original journalism as well.

As for television, PBS NewsHour produces an evening newscast that airs on local PBS stations around the country. The organization has a digital operation as well.

On the whole, the news offerings of U.S. public broadcasters have been marked by relative financial stability, with some declines in audience since 2020. Explore the patterns and longitudinal data about public broadcasting below. (Further data on podcasting is available in a separate fact sheet.)

Audience

The top 20 NPR-affiliated public radio stations (by listenership) had on average a total weekly listenership of about 8 million in 2022, down 10% from 2021. (This includes listeners of NPR programming as well as original or other syndicated content aired on these stations.)

When looking specifically at NPR programming across all stations that carry it, weekly terrestrial broadcast listenership declined by 6% between 2021 and 2022. (Traditional radio listening is “terrestrial,” i.e., coming from radio broadcast towers rather than satellites or the internet.) About 23.5 million average weekly listeners tuned in to NPR programming during the year, down from 25.1 million in 2021, according to internal data provided by the organization.

The terrestrial audience from PRX, which distributes programs such as The World and The Takeaway, declined to about 6.7 million average weekly listeners, a 24% drop since 2021.

Weekly broadcast audience of NPR and PRX

NPR’s broadcasting reach remained mostly stable between 2020 and 2022 in terms of both the number of member stations (stations either owned or operated by member organizations) and the number of stations airing any NPR programming (which includes member stations). The number of member organizations – flagship educational and community organizations that operate at least one station – stood at 249, down slightly from 251 the previous year.

Broadcasting reach of NPR

In 2022, 936 stations were airing programming from PRX, roughly the same as in 2021.

NPR’s digital platforms continue to be an important part of its reach. The NPR One app, which offers a stream of individual shows and podcasts, had a lower average number of total completed sessions in 2022 than in the previous year among Android users but saw increases among iPhone users. (A completed session is any instance in which a user starts and stops using the app.) The NPR News app, which offers livestreams from individual stations and digital content, increased sharply in completed sessions among iPhone users in 2020 but has since declined.

The audience for PBS NewsHour declined slightly after an increase in 2020: In 2022, it attracted about 900,000 viewers on average, down from roughly 1 million in 2021 and 1.2 million in 2020.

Economics

The financial picture for news outlets in public radio appeared mostly strong both locally and nationally.

At the national level, NPR’s total operating revenue in 2022 was $316.7 million, an increase of 8% from the previous year. PRX was down about 17% from 2021, falling to about $36.1 million in total revenue for 2022.

Total revenue for NPR and PRX

At the local public radio level, an analysis of the public filings provided by 129 of the largest news-oriented licensees (organizations that operate local public radio stations) shows that in fiscal year 2021, total revenue for this group was $1.2 billion.

This revenue for local public radio comes from a range of streams, but individual giving (which includes member revenue and major gifts) and underwriting (from businesses and foundations as well as other nonprofit organizations) are two key sources of funding. Among the 129 news-oriented licensees studied here, individual giving and underwriting accounted for a combined $647.6 million in revenue in 2021.

In 2021, the total number of individual members – defined as anyone who has given money to one of the stations owned by these 129 licensees in each calendar year – was 2.4 million, about the same as the previous year.

On the television side, NewsHour derives its revenue from a variety of sources, including PBS, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and a mix of “nonpublic” streams such as corporations, individual giving and foundations. While the details about public sources of revenue were unavailable for this analysis, NewsHour did provide information about its breakdown of nonpublic funding. In 2022, contributions from individuals rose to 27% of total nonpublic funding as contributions from foundations reached their lowest share at 51%. (Information on whether the total amount of this funding rose or fell was also unavailable.)

Newsroom investment

Program and production expenses for the 129 news-oriented local public radio licensees was $480.2 million in 2021, compared with $539.4 million in 2020. While program and production expenses comprise only a portion of overall station expenses, a decrease in these kinds of expenditures indicates that the stations are directing fewer dollars toward the creation of news content.

Find out more

This fact sheet was compiled by Research Assistants Christopher St. Aubin and Sarah Naseer.

Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder. This is the latest report in Pew Research Center’s ongoing investigation of the state of news, information and journalism in the digital age, a research program funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, with generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Read the methodology.

Find more in-depth explorations of public broadcasting by following the links below:

• For World Radio Day, key facts about radio listeners and the radio industry in the U.S., Feb. 13, 2023.
• Broad agreement in U.S. – even among partisans – on which news outlets are part of the ‘mainstream media’, May 7, 2021
• How Americans Navigated the News in 2020: A Tumultuous Year in Review, Feb. 22, 2021
• Measuring News Consumption in a Digital Era, Dec. 8, 2020
• Americans’ main sources for political news vary by party and age, April 1, 2020
• U.S. Media Polarization and the 2020 Election: A Nation Divided, Jan. 24, 2020

A Supporting individual membership entitles you to partial Osher Institute programming: social events, the Pfaudler Lecture Series, the Summer Seminar trips, Arts and Lectures events, and Special Interest Groups. The annual fee is $170. Renewable.

Not included: Osher Institute classes and library of course recordings; RIT University class auditing and student ID card 
You may invite one guest to events, Pfaudler lectures, and trips.

PR Newswire

WASHINGTON, July 26, 2023

WASHINGTON, July 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitch Harle, an experienced communications and fundraising professional in Washington, D.C., has joined the National Press Club Journalism Institute as its development manager. Harle started in the role on July 20. 

As development manager, Harle will oversee and expand the Institute's fundraising and donor relations operation. Harle will build the Institute's strong service-oriented reputation among new funders while nurturing relationships with the supporters who have made the Institute's work possible through the years. 

"I'm thrilled to join the Institute and continue the important work it has done for journalists and communicators over the decades," said Harle. "I first visited the National Press Club during a trip to Washington as a teenager, and getting to be a part of its history and legacy as development manager for the Institute is a true honor. This work is more critical than ever, and I can't wait to get started." 

The National Press Club Journalism Institute is the nonprofit affiliate of the National Press Club.

Institute Executive Director Beth Francesco created the development role in response to a growing need and responsibility to financially sustain the Institute's service to more than 9,000 journalists annually in the U.S. and around the globe. The Institute's reach has more than doubled in the last three years through its educational programming and training workshops, published resources including a daily industry newsletter, and focused efforts on press freedom support for individuals and through training. 

"The need has never been greater for the Institute's services, and we're invested in keeping these services free or low-cost for the hard-working journalists and newsrooms whose own resources are being depleted," Francesco said. "Mitch brings a renewed energy, grant-writing experience, and commitment to great journalism as a critical role in a healthy democracy. I'm excited about his ideas and enthusiasm for the work ahead."

Prior to his work at the Institute, Harle worked as development manager for Protect Our Care, a nonprofit dedicated to making affordable and equitable healthcare a right for everyone in America. He moved into development after serving as deputy press secretary and director of operations for the organization. He's also worked in political research, with American Bridge 21st Century.

Institute President Gil Klein, Treasurer Paul Merrion, and member and former treasurer Doug Harbrecht were involved with the hiring process and praised Harle's understanding of the Institute's work, the National Press Club's history, and the potential to attract financial backing from various supporters. 

"Mitch's skills will help us attain our fiscal goals for the Institute," Klein said. "We on the Institute board believe that he and Beth working together will find the support needed to expand our work to train journalists, defend press freedom and explain the role of fact-based journalism in our democracy."

The majority of Institute programming is available at no cost to participants. The Institute is supported through grant funding, individual donations, and registration fees for select training. In addition, the Institute has relied on a small portion of investment income to support its rapid audience growth during the pandemic. It does not receive financial support from the National Press Club. 

"Investing in the Institute is investing in the future of journalism," Francesco said. "We are thrilled to have Mitch join us in amplifying this important message as we seek support to continue our important work."

Harle is originally from Katy, Texas and holds a bachelor's degree in International Relations from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. He currently lives in Washington, D.C., with his husband, Brian. Contact Harle at mharle@press.com.

The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest.

To donate or inquire about funding programs, please email Development Manager Mitch Harle or Executive Director Beth Francesco. 

Contact: Beth Francesco, bfrancesco@press.org

View original content to obtain multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-press-club-journalism-institute-hires-new-development-manager-301886801.html

SOURCE National Press Club Journalism Institute

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