Watch all the leaves fall off and then burst back with this 3 month 30 second video.
Strobe Warning. sorry my exposure is all over the place.
previous garden timelapse and timelapse. also a post or two.
Author: be3n
I've been working with, playing with, thinking about, building, or demonstrating the wonders of technology for decades. I am a freelance consultant in Los Angeles supporting some of its most creative residents and businesses. This is a writing exercise and in truth I don't know if I will lean more toward the technical or the bizarre. Either way, expect to see some technical writing here in the near future. This is just a place for me to ramble, rant, rave, or reticulate. Got something to say about it? leave a comment.
Starlink cables are just Ethernet!
I came across a damaged Starlink cable. on closer inspection it looked like twisted pairs. so i spliced it like an ethernet and it worked perfectly. This might be a great way to extend your existing runs, or to wire it more cleanly than expected. more info on github.
Status update:
Half a million Wifi access points discovered! I’ve also integrated the Raspberry Pi Foundation 7 inch touch display into the phone compartment on my Tesla center console. This allows me to see the status of the scan as well as change operating modes. There are almost no light leaks with the lid closed, but at night the screen is washed out in photos. A usb port was added for convenience. I will want to clean up the USB port and add some physical buttons.
The antennas are back! Wardriving in a Tesla.
This project was cannibalized over a year ago. With Raspberry Pi as difficult to get ahold of as they’ve been, i thought this project might never come back to life. I launched a number of pi liberating ideas with some success. I now have enough for both fun personal projects and to get my work done. I felt i should explain the name wardriving. It is a variation on wardialing. Wardialing was trying phone numbers, looking for interesting things on the phone. Wardriving is similarly driving around looking for interesting things in the air.
My wardriver is not pictured above, but these Pi are ready for whatever comes next. I’ve recovered an assortment of different Pi from original B+ (pi-hole) to a 2GB Pi 4 (broken helium miner). One of the best parts of this setup is the early Pi 3 (not B+). This was a lucky find as it consumes less energy and produces much less heat. With only 6 radios running (including GPS) the lower performance hasn’t been an issue, but the reduced power has been incredible. Early testing has me getting an additional 20-40% battery life vs the original pi 4 configuration. my cable management has also improved with this iteration. The setup fits in a small box in my trunk instead of a tangled mass of wires in a large bin (prototyping is fun). The reason power is so important because, believe it or not, the amperage you can pull out of a Tesla for accessories is limited. Without an alternator dumping piles of unclean energy i am forced to resort to BYOB (bring your own battery). I got a monster battery to power the Pi 4 and even more radios and accessories of the original prototype.
It is fun using the ADSB live tracker in Los Angeles as there are always planes above. Next step will be DJI drone tracking and some sort of dashboard indicator/control. I started a WiGLE account, it’s off to a pretty good start. i found a few APs, but i’m still figuring out how to share BT. maybe i’ll join the #HardHatBrigade group.
Apparently there is a Lindt store in Orange County where you can get diverse assortment of delectables
The adventure started when i discovered that there was a maple flavored Lindt chocolate. This turned out to be a holiday flavor and not available presently. In the store i got a box of 150 personally selected by me. I will have to return soon to see what new delights are unleashed.
Hollywood Sign and Reservoir flight after wind delay!
A wise pilot i know says, “it’s better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground.”
I was hoping to fly Tuesday, but wind gusts were too much for my little Mini 2. I flew Wednesday instead. not quite as clear, but the haze was truer to character for Los Angeles.
Bird Platform kills off 3rd party development!
And with it, the last of my engagement. Tapbots makes incredible software for interacting with twitter. Despite it’s already limited API integration, chief twit killed the integration completely with no word or warning. You had incredible developers working for your users, but now you have pissed them off. I cannot wait to see the incredible work that comes out of spite.
Status update:
Most of the people i follow have already departed twitter. It hasn’t been useful for a while. now, it’s not even amusing. I’ve moved to @be3n@mastodon.social. I will still syndicate posts from this site to twitter and the twitter feed will also remain (for now). I’ve already added Mastodon syndication and feed. (assuming this posts makes it there). Exciting.
Upgrading to Unifi Dream Machine Pro.
I’ve been using Ubiquiti equipment since the original PowerStation. I took it to the next level with Unifi. I slowly acquired more and more equipment until their controller software had such an incredible sight into my network and it’s workings. An insight that makes maintenance and troubleshooting effortless. Moving from the USG Pro to UDM Pro i immediately enjoy the faster speeds and the fancy touch screen panel. What i don’t like is it’s complete lack of integration with non-local controllers and the missing features in its switch component.
As you can see from this image, i am a fan of link aggregation. It is an inexpensive way to maximize existing infrastructure and improve network performance. Unfortunately, the 8 ports on the UDM are currently incapable of this feature. I was hoping to remove one of the switches from my closet as i move links to the UDM, but it was not to be. This seems like a serious oversight for a Pro branded unit. I am hoping they fix this with a future update, but will not be holding my breath.
RAID rebuilding season!
Black Friday deals bring about RAID expansions, hand me down drives lead to more expansions. The 4TBs i pulled out of service had almost 6 years on them. Still passed SMART!