Danny Staple's Bio

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 13 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #7,236 in People, #130,201 overall

All about me - who I am, what I do

First and foremost, I am now a very proud father to be, which means my life is undergoing all kinds of changes and priority shifts right now. Far from squidoo going out, getting into writing on squidoo was one of those shifts, as it is far less space consuming, dangerous or messy as some of the things I build.

I build stuff, grow stuff, read stuff and like to write about it. I like to philosophise, research and learn, and then go the next step and apply, do and build. I love reading How-to's and will experiment with things to see what else I can learn.

Things I build include robots, models, contraptions to aid my plants, furniture and generally whatever takes my fancy. For example I have a Lego lathe as a work in progress. I generally talk about my robots on the OrionRobots website.

I am growing tomatoes, as well as Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Parsley, a large cactus and other stuff. I write about my efforts on another lens- I grow food.

I am currently researching energy systems, how to save, store and produce energy. This is quite loose right now, but I will be writing more about it as I get deeper into the topic.

I am software developer in my day job, and work mostly with C on embedded devices currently.

Making stuff 

I have always liked building stuff. I admit, I also enjoy pulling stuff apart, but that is only so I can use it to build something new, or see how it works and think about how I might use that. I build stuff with anything I get my hands on - give me paper clips, I will absent mindedly join them together into some kind of 3d solid doodle, give me bluetac and I will sculpt various things from it, give me paper and I will doodle on it or fold it. If there are electronics, I will try and connect them and loved building radio kits as a kid.

Lego is of course the most accessible building material. There is little that comes close with its versatility beyond owning your own machine shop and scratch building.

I love to read Make magazine, and occasionally pick up electronics, hobbyist, gardening, programming and other magazines that lend themselves to actually doing stuff.

My other lenses 

I have created a growing number of articles (known as lenses on squidoo). Please have a look at them.

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My hobbies and interests 

twitstamp.com

I may have too many hobbies. But here is an attempt to list what I do (in no particular order):

  • Computer Software

  • Computer hardware tinkering

  • Growing herbs

  • Growing tomatoes

  • Trying out crazy contraptions for all kinds of things around the house and out.

  • Lego - good fun, and a great way to prototype said crazy contraptions.

  • Writing - writing about my experiences and interests.

  • Reading - I love to read novels - especially sci-fi. Favourites are Iain M Banks, Terry Pratchett, Douglass Adams to name a few.

  • Computer Games - I used to write them, but these days I sometimes like to play them. Favourites are Unreal Tournament, Sim City 4 Deluxe Edition, Worms Armageddon.

  • Listening to music - I love listening to many kinds of music. last.fm is the best thing since J.S. Bach to happen for music lovers. I like Classical, and more recent music like Leftfield, Massive Attack, Mr Scruff (most stuff on Ninja Tunes label), The Orb and Orbital.

  • Making music - I like to make music with my computer using a midi input keyboard and various tools. I also like to play guitar from time to time - blues riffing or jamming along to tracks on last.fm mostly.

  • Swimming - I like to swim most weekends, currently getting 30+ lengths every Saturday. I may not be the fastest or fittest swimmer, but I enjoy my weekly swim.

  • Fruit beers and proper ciders. I enjoy fruit beers, especially Freuli. I like cloudy sedimenty ciders. I have little time for ciders that are watery and transparent.

Make stuff too! 

Make magazine is inspiration itself for making anything. If you have got the bug, or just want to see what people are making, this O'Reilly magazine is the one you need. It is quarterly, and is about the size of a small book.
Make: The 4th Year Set: Volumes 13-16

Make: The 4th Year Set: Volumes 13-16

Amazon Price: $41.99 (as of 12/05/2009) Buy Now

We Make Magazines: Inside the Independents

We Make Magazines: Inside the Independents

by: Andrew Losowsky

Amazon Price: $31.50 (as of 12/05/2009) Buy Now

Make, Volume 3: Technology on Your Time (Make: Technology on Your Time)

Make, Volume 3: Technology on Your Time (Make: Technology on Your Time)

Amazon Price: $11.69 (as of 12/05/2009) Buy Now

Organisations I am proud to be a member or patron of 


  • ZSL - The Zoological Society of London - aka London Zoo. I have been a member of London Zoo for a few years now, and visit regularly. I am personally most interested in the great apes. I like to support the research, education and conservation work the zoo does, as well as increase my own knowledge about these animals. Awareness of the animal kingdom is important to me, and I personally think it would be a great thing for more city dwellers to see these places.

  • BCS - The British Computer Society - I am a member of the BCS and attend some of their seminars and lectures in London. I am an out and out computer geek, and professionally a software engineer, so I could not ignore this organisation.

  • The Science Museum, London - I am not a member, but a regular attendee, including the Science Lates evenings and special exhibitions (the proceeds of which go to important work). This is one of Londons great free attractions.

  • The Natural History Museum in London is another of the great attractions in London which I attend regularly, including special events. I am not a member, but a regular patron.

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OrionRobots blog 

Stories I have posted to the orionrobots blog

When I write about robots and related technology, I normally post it on my blog on OrionRobots. Other technologists are welcome to request a blog there too!

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My omnicode/geek code 

Since I am a self confessed geek, I do possess a geek code - which for those interested, encodes a lot of information about myself, and my interests/habits.

This is an Omnicode version 1.6 code I think.

sxy cm162 kg88 skefaba0 ha67453b ey6b686f es+ sp= Ag1979 anE hds Lo51.539529,-0.381775GM0DN ZoV ZoH rl! LAEN(9)&ZH(1).cantonese&FR(1) Crc(8).SoftwareEngineer Edc(7)&E(3).Electronics HbRobots&Window_box_gardening&TV.Stargate;David_attenborough Pl{L}&D MvW&B RlM Kd! FHb.short UFPitr IN8.Adsl AdI PrC(9)&*(3)

Soma.fm 

listener-supported, commercial-free, underground/alternative radio

Soma.fm feature quite strongly in my listening. With everything from Trance, dance, deep house, nu-jazz, indy, electronically influenced rock as well as many independent and undiscovered artists the selection of channels to listen to here are impressive. It has allowed me to expand my listening, and it makes for very listenable background.

They even have the unique "secret agent" station, which is chilled and lounge sounds chopped up with quotes from spy films, which is pretty good fun. "Groove Salad" is chilled out electronic, some experimental, some more chilled, some slightly more upbeat. "Drone Zone" is very slow sounds, trancy things, good for getting concentrated and can be a bit sleepy. "Illinois Street Lounge" is more vintage lounge sounds for a more classic sound. These are only a few of the stations they have. Go take a look - there is plenty to listen to!

SomaFM independent internet radio

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What I am selling on eBay 

When I have a clear out, I tend to sell the stuff on eBay.

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by dannystaple

I build stuff, grow stuff, read stuff and like to write about it. I like to philosophise, research and learn, and then go the next step and apply, do... (more)

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