This is the homepage of me, Mark Watkins, an independent software developer and ethical/open-source/friendly neighbourhood hacker who lives in the sunny state of Queensland Australia.
I’m the guy behind the software project SleepyHead, an open-source research tool for digging into CPAP machine data. CPAP machines are nifty medical devices used in the treatment of sleep disorders, one of which I’ve got.
Prior to my foray into open-source and the world of independent software development, I was a computer consultant and disaster recovery specialist with a solid background working in various IT administration and technical support roles in and around the Rockhampton and Sunshine Coast areas.
I have a penchant for figuring out how things work and solving difficult problems. I find myself at home in front of a hex editor analysing and decoding complex data structures and protocols, or working away in a code editor writing, testing and optimising C/C++ code to run as efficiently as possible.
When away from the keyboard, I’m often poking away with a soldering iron or hot air gun repairing electronic devices, or creating various Arduino circuits for my aquaponics system and CPAP/sleep tracking projects. I also dabble in music creation on guitar and piano, and occasionally mess around on a Wacom tablet doing a little 3d modelling/sculpting.
Blogging doesn’t exactly come naturally to me, but I’m going to attempt sharing and documenting a little more of what I do from now on.