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Showing posts with label hacking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hacking. Show all posts

Monday, November 1, 2021

Recycling/Unlocking/Hacking Devices for Fun and Profit, Random Stuff, and More

- there's a lot of discussion about saving the environment and re-use but in reality it often skims the surface. Moreover, in reality, a lot of the time waste is getting sent overseas but effectively dumped or burnt instead of being recycled. We'll look at some local options here:
How do we sort out Australia's waste problem _ ABC News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5XJyaRohys
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2020/10/is-world-in-environmental-trouble.html
https://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2017/03/prophetsgenesisterraforming-mars-seek.html
fake recycling
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/10/5-recycling-myths-busted-plastic/
Or, at least, that's how it used to work. Then, on the first day of 2018, China, the world's largest market for recycled waste, essentially shut its doors. Under its National Sword policy, China prohibited 24 types of waste from entering the country, arguing that what was coming in was too contaminated. The policy shift was partly attributed to the impact of a documentary, Plastic China, which went viral before censors erased it from China's internet. The film follows a family working in the country's recycling industry, where humans pick through vast dunes of western waste, shredding and melting salvageable plastic into pellets that can be sold to manufacturers. It is filthy, polluting work – and badly paid. The remainder is often burned in the open air. The family lives alongside the sorting machine, their 11-year-old daughter playing with a Barbie pulled from the rubbish.
For recyclers such as Smith, National Sword was a huge blow. "The price of cardboard has probably halved in the last 12 months," he says. "The price of plastics has plummeted to the extent that it isn't worth recycling. If China doesn't take plastic, we can't sell it." Still, that waste has to go somewhere. The UK, like most developed nations, produces more waste than it can process at home: 230m tonnes a year – about 1.1kg per person per day. (The US, the world's most wasteful nation, produces 2kg per person per day.) Quickly, the market began flooding any country that would take the trash: Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, countries with some of the world's highest rates of what researchers call "waste mismanagement" – rubbish left or burned in open landfills, illegal sites or facilities with inadequate reporting, making its final fate difficult to trace.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/17/plastic-recycling-myth-what-really-happens-your-rubbish
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/29/climate/recycling-landfills-plastic-papers.html
https://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2019/11/a-sea-of-fakery-random-stuff-and-more.html
- I obviously play around with lots of electronics. There's often heaps of interesting stuff you can learn or extract from them. Teardown/schematics pictures are often available on the Internet for many devices but a lot of the time you can get away without them provided you are careful
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2018/04/hp-4520s-laptop-teardown-random-stuff.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2011/04/apple-ibook-g4-logicboard-fixes.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2010/10/asus-1005p-disassembly.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2010/07/replacing-lcd-on-toshiba-nb200.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2013/02/laptop-thermal-design-convergence-and.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2012/05/fujitsu-stylistic-st4120-recovery.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2011/10/nvidia-laptop-graphics-chip-repair.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2013/03/laptop-hacking-and-hardware-workarounds.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2015/08/apple-icloud-device-locking-and-general.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2013/03/repairing-laptop-power-bricks.html
https://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2011/08/unlocking-your-phonemodem.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2015/08/apple-icloud-device-locking-and-general.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2015/07/ableton-and-ableton-push-hacking.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2012/09/windows-and-android-arent-that_5901.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2012/08/funky-firmware.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2012/07/if-only-reading-were-easier.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2011/11/playing-with-android.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2015/06/repairing-musical-instrumentselectrical.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2015/06/custom-midi-hardware-and-software.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2012/12/network-traffic-analysis-laptop-power.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2013/02/laptop-thermal-design-convergence-and.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2012/10/more-security-oscilloscope-and-wireless_6750.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2011/11/hp-pavilion-dv2000-laptop-troubles.html
https://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2018/11/lost-dell-recovery-disc-youtube.html
- over time, I've figured out that very few companies custom design chips or software now. Most of them take a standard architecture, modify it, rebrand, and re-sell at a hefty markup. When/if you can unlock you can often get a cheap/free computer out of it
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2012/07/if-only-reading-were-easier.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2021/02/living-without-google-random-stuff-and.html
https://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-big-5-us-it-firms-arent-unbeatable.html
https://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2020/02/web-server-global-sampling.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2021/01/how-elite-maintain-power-random-stuff.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2012/10/more-security-oscilloscope-and-wireless_6750.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2012/09/automated-research-and-some-more_18.html
- anything that looks or functions remotely like a computer (such as set top boxes) are often a great source of spare parts. To keep manufacturing/production costs down it's obvious a lot of companies use standardised parts and protocols. The obvious problem is getting your hands on such hardware. Set top box, game consoles, musical instruments, routers, etc... often good targets
telstra tbox teardown
Telstra Bigpond T-Box dismantle....to save 320gig HARD-DRIVE...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9kzliKV5bo
https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/2010+Telstra+t-box+Teardown/125657
https://infocon.org/skills/iFixit/2010%20Telstra%20t-box%20Teardown.pdf
cisco router teardown
https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Cisco+878+Integrated+Services+Router+Teardown/76299
foxtel iq4 teardown
LOOK INSIDE A FOTEL /AUSTAR BOX
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEj0pe9Y9Cw
Telstra TV2 roku
https://www.telstra.com.au/aboutus/media/media-releases/telstra-announces-partnership-with-roku-to-launch-telstra-tv-streaming-service
https://www.comparetv.com.au/review/telstra-tv-roku-box-review/
telstra thub 2 use tablet only
Hi Sarahj4450,
I grabbed one of the T-Hub 2 tablets from our test bench here and returned it to factory default settings. From the screen where it asks you to start the setup process I held down the volume down button while I dragged my finger in a Z formation across the corners of the tablet.
This seems to have bypassed the setup and allowed me to access the main interface. From here, I was able to get into settings and configure the Wi-Fi settings.
- Shelly
https://crowdsupport.telstra.com.au/t5/t-hub/t-hub-2-without-base/td-p/685740
telstra thub2 use as android tablet without base station
https://crowdsupport.telstra.com.au/t5/t-hub/skipping-the-installation-wizard-on-the-t-hub-2/m-p/340955
https://crowdsupport.telstra.com.au/t5/t-hub/install-t-hub-without-the-base-or-modem/td-p/554979
xbox teardown
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Xbox+Disassembly/1308
https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Xbox+Series+X+Teardown/138451
playstation teardown
https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/PlayStation+5+Teardown/138280
https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Sony+PlayStation+Teardown/128089
- graphics calculators, eBook readers, embedded devices in general are often a great source of interest for hacking because they're often used in school and kids need to blow off some steam or are just plain curious
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2012/08/funky-firmware.html
https://knightos.org/download/
https://education.ti.com/en/products/computer-software/ti-connect-sw
https://education.ti.com/en/downloads
http://lpg.ticalc.org/prj_tilp/index.html
- phones are interesting for a bunch of reasons. A lot of telecommunications providers are network compatible which means you may not have to unlock. That said, the process of unlocking for full network capabilities is pretty interesting. I've been finding that at least some of them don't run checks for network time usage which means that if you have an old SIM card you may be able to unlock your device immediately and for free?
vodafone unlock
https://unlock.vodafone.com.au/
https://www.whistleout.com.au/MobilePhones/Guides/how-to-unlock-your-phone-from-vodafone
unlock optus unlock
https://www.reviews.org/au/mobile/unlock-optus-phone/
https://secure-unlock.com.au/ou/instructions
https://www.whistleout.com.au/MobilePhones/Guides/unlock-phone-from-Optus
https://whatphone.com.au/optus/how-to-unlock-optus-phone/
telstra phone unlock
https://www.finder.com.au/how-to-unlock-telstra-phone
https://www.whistleout.com.au/MobilePhones/Guides/How-To-Unlock-Telstra-Phone
https://www.reviews.org/au/mobile/unlock-telstra-phone/
- scrapping cars looks really interesting but is obviously a capital intensive sector to deal. You need tools, tow cars, expertise, garages, etc... It's not really something your "Average Joe" can do unless people literally give you "free cars" and parts?
Here's How Much it will Cost to Fix my 100,000 Mile V12 Ferrari that hasn't been Serviced in YEARS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBaBVt_ruEg
Here's What FINALLY Fixed my Cheap Salvage Ferrari!!! (EVERY Ferrari 360's Fatal Flaw)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEBe6QWTk9U
Was my Repo'd BMW Supercar Sabotaged to make it Impossible to Repair?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijDj17kcIqw
We FIXED the Blown Head Gasket in my BMW i8 WITHOUT Spending $10,000 at the Dealer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiXUtBGOVW0
My Salvage Ferrari Ran for only 5 Miles after Spending Over $14,000 in Repairs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUZa7PrTCWQ
Aston Martin Wanted $4,000 for a Clutch, Here's how I Easily Sourced One for $400 (You Can Too)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMP5twe-GO4
I Found $4,000 in Parts DESTROYED on my Repo Aston Martin after Pulling its Transmission!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5YyVJ1ZMI4
Will the $400 Clutch Replacement Fix my Cheap Aston Martin? (Paid 50% off at Auction)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9OMYRoDwQw
We turned this Broken, Old & FREE BMW into $85,000 (extremely rare)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCiiRIDfsNU
I Fixed my MISDIAGNOSED BMW M3 for FREE in Less than an Hour! One Wire Caused a MAJOR ISSUE!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfiOIYWuvsI
This Near NEW $75,000 Porsche was Sitting at a Salvage Auction! Here's Why It Sold Extremely Cheap!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIasNWJ-ThQ
Someone TAMPERED with our $1,000 MINI Cooper at Auction! Can a $50 Hack Bring it Back to Life?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pTbjtp9NVw
I Bought my Friend a STOLEN, Crashed, and DEAD Turbo VW for Christmas. He Loved It!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp0B1OqsGNA
My Review of Engine Oil Stop Leak "Reseal" on my Ferrari 360
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHloRVnK4XM
One $30 Part on my Ferrari FAILED and Destroyed Everything! It's now $6,000 to Repair.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo9yjK40QRA
The Ferrari Dealer wanted $8,000 to Replace my Clutch; here's how I did it at home for $1,200
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmnMZ0erRb8
Buying a Cheap Ferrari Ruined My Life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVkAqhQU5kI
Rebuilding FLOODED Ferrari 458 with MY SON - CAR STARTS!!!
Finally Bought EXOTIC CAR All For Myself - SURPRISINGLY VERY CHEAP!!
Real Life Exotics
Ultimate Rebuilds
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ_k8gy_lIKxu3yipRwDvIg/videos
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tesla+repair
Tesla wanted $16,000 to fix this NEW Model 3, we did it for $700! The importance of Right to REPAIR!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVSw3KSevEc
The TRUTH about the $22,500 Tesla battery repair
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Asig9PuZ5XY
https://www.youtube.com/c/RichRebuilds/videos
Tesla Model S Main Battery Repair | Gruber Motors
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-B_8oMZNeI
Gruber Motor Company
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjRHl8tpECei0UkoZfLE2hw/videos
The Truth About Tesla Model 3 Batteries: Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGFiaWvD-KI
The Truth About Tesla Model 3 Batteries: Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdUqQZC2dcE
https://www.youtube.com/c/TwoBitdaVinci/videos
We Bought 3 Cheap Ferraris For The Price Of A Toyota Camry - Car Trek S4E1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmwIdGUb3qY
Here's How Fast (OR SLOW) Our Cheap Ferraris ACTUALLY Are - Car Trek S4E2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJZVyoWS9fU
I Bought A Fast And Furious Eclipse For $500 (And It's MUCH WORSE THAN YOU THINK)
https://www.youtube.com/c/tavarish/videos
I Bought an Abandoned Ferrari 512 BBi Sat Outside Rotting for 12 Years
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bow2NbNeLgU
Ferrari 512BBi First Wash in 12 years. Only 6420 Miles - AMMO NYC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FbOEzDjz-A
https://www.youtube.com/c/Ratarossa/videos
Rebuilding a salvage NISSAN GTR in 10 minutes
- you can make some money from rummaging through garbage. Not easy and you need a lot of space though?
scrapping garbage china billionaire
China's 'Queen of Trash' finds riches in waste paper - Business - International Herald Tribune
https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/15/business/worldbusiness/15iht-trash.4211783.html
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-10/20/content_713250.htm
- modern batteries can actually be repaired/have their life extended by adding water, Epsom Salt, Inox, etc...
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sla+battery+recycle
Sealed Lead Acid Battery Recovery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JIzSxqWids
How to Revive a dead 12V Sealed Lead Acid Battery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l59knYW8rg
- when all else fails you can often resort to scrap metal recycling. Extracting raw metals isn't as easy as you think and the amounts you're dealing with means the economics sort of don't make sense. The only way it works out is if you happen to have free or cheap chemicals nearby. Don't expect to gain all that much from metal recyclers. Most of the time you should only expect only to recover costs of the project if it hits that point
extract gold pcb
https://www.instructables.com/How-To-Extract-Gold-From-Electronics/
https://www.instructables.com/Gold-recovery/
- fixing/scrapping mowers sounds simple but in reality requires space, time, parts, etc... In reality, they're also commodities so unless you can get them extremely cheaply or free you can't make much money from them
https://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com/2019/08/servicingfixing-my-briggs-and-stratton.html
- figured out what people do with scrap cars, scrap computers, scrap batteries, etc... now. Note, that a lot of companies take counter measures to stop people repairing their own goods so be aware you may void your warranty if you attempt to "self repair". Note that a lot of devices are cheaper to replace then fix now?
apple ban repair
tesla ban repair
https://www.thedrive.com/news/41493/teslas-16000-quote-for-a-700-fix-is-why-right-to-repair-matters
- personally, I like thinking about what can be recycled around the home. Biofuels aren't that difficult to produce and shredded paper can often be used as mulch/boost compost. You can sometimes dissolve/convert some substances into something useful if you can find a suitable solvent
If you want to experiment with liquification you may want to try acetone?
https://www.thoughtco.com/dissolving-styrofoam-in-acetone-608924
https://www.ausetute.com.au/polystyrene.html
Suprised at how funny/cool the process actually is? Apparently, you can turn the final product into a firelighter style product or plastic that you can saw, shape, sand, drill, etc...
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=melting+polystyrene
Dissolving Styrofoam With Acetone Experiment (Making Slime With Styrofoam And Acetone)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrnFpb8hhrQ
Recycling Polystyrene. Plastic Forming.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NefRPyMegXs
- to find goods to scrap you're best targets are larger organisations where they make more money when replacing then attempting to repair, people who are feckless/too lazy to repair, etc...

Random Stuff:
- as usual thanks to all of the individuals and groups who purchase and use my goods and services
http://sites.google.com/site/dtbnguyen/
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com.au/
- latest in science and technology
https://itwire.com/government-tech-policy/tsmc-founder-questions-us-move-to-rebuild-chip-supply-chain.html
https://itwire.com/strategy/assange-appeal-outcome-awaited,-us-lawyers-mum-on-alleged-cia-plot.html
https://itwire.com/business-it/facebook-changes-name-to-meta-,-a-bet-that-the-metaverse-matters.html
https://itwire.com/hardware-and-storage/intel-launches-12th-gen-intel-core-family,-including-world%E2%80%99s-best-gaming-processor.html
https://itwire.com/technology-regulation/us-threat-to-use-cold-war-era-law-against-chip-firms-spooks-tsmc-investors.html
https://itwire.com/technology-regulation/accc-wants-measures-to-curb-%E2%80%98dominance%E2%80%99-of-google-search-engine.html
https://www.rt.com/usa/538447-blue-origin-space-station/
https://www.rt.com/usa/538445-desantis-fauci-mad-scientist/
https://www.sciencealert.com/microscopic-nanotech-color-slides-could-change-how-we-identify-disease
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/oct/30/what-is-the-australian-government-doing-to-crack-down-on-big-tech-and-why
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2021-10-28/carbon-soil-research-startup-loam-bio-attracts-investors-/100564724
https://itwire.com/security/swinburne-sets-up-cyber-academy-to-meet-need-for-security-professionals.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/antonyleather/2021/10/27/intel-12th-gen-alder-lake-12900k-12700k-and-12600k-hybrid-desktop-processors-announced-biggest-performance-leap-in-a-decade/
- latest in finance and politics
https://www.rt.com/op-ed/538412-social-justice-western-imperialists/
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/oct/30/scott-morrisons-nerves-showed-as-he-squibbed-net-zero-target-and-staged-a-climate-farce
https://www.smh.com.au/national/simon-holmes-court-if-it-works-the-payoff-will-be-enormous-20210916-p58sbn.html
https://www.msn.com/en-au/money/news/asic-has-given-bitcoin-etfs-a-tentative-green-light-opening-the-door-for-them-to-be-traded-on-australian-exchanges/ar-AAQ5gdK?ocid=BingNews
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/myanmars-military-junta-sentences-aung-san-suu-kyi-aide-u-win-htein-to-20-years-in-prison/ar-AAQ5MVo?ocid=BingNews
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/oct/29/the-public-heard-another-gladys-berejiklian-at-icac-one-who-threatened-to-sack-bureaucrats-and-bossed-colleagues
https://www.msn.com/en-au/money/markets/bitcoin-mania-down-under-is-the-new-crypto-miners-etf-diga-listed-on-the-asx/ar-AAQ4jpy?ocid=BingNews
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-25/daniel-lanzer-cosmetic-surgery-clinic-videos-four-corners/100547442
https://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/never-ever-ever-own-up-cosmetic-cowboys-running-wild-in-the-billion-dollar-treatments-industry-20211022-p592ee.html
https://www.denipt.com.au/world/2021/10/30/5547773/south-koreas-moon-urges-pope-visit-north
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-25/victorian-premier-parliament-lockdown-pandemic-covid/100567664
- latest in defense and intelligence
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/ive-been-spat-at-the-terrifying-reality-of-muslim-women-in-australia/ar-AAQ4R3T?ocid=BingNews
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/myanmars-military-junta-sentences-aung-san-suu-kyi-aide-u-win-htein-to-20-years-in-prison/ar-AAQ5MVo?ocid=BingNews
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-23/gold-coast-simulator-inventor/100560112
https://www.9news.com.au/world/narco-submarine-captured-by-navy-sailing-ship/17005b03-7c64-495a-90a6-5bc7191777d6
- latest in animal and environmental news
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/audio/2021/oct/28/australia-v-the-climate-part-four-fossil-fuels
- latest in music and entertainment
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/teachers-vile-claim-about-horny-students-after-abusing-14yo/news-story/320637ac89e83f2d81b03c6ecc347705
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/eat/bodybuilder-brian-johnson-swears-by-gross-raw-meat-diet/news-story/5e0c53e1c83a7931db08537f95d02754
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/north-korea-found-the-answer-to-its-food-crisis-in-black-swan-meat-bernardi/ar-AAQ5Oqc?ocid=BingNews
https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/priscilla-chan-reveals-mark-zuckerberg-began-teaching-their-kids-to-code-from-age-three/news-story/9e9a939023242163dd0997df9493446c

Random Quotes:
- Mason concluded, "The first exoplanet [a planet outside our solar system] was found in 1992. Even if we thought we had a way to get someone to another planet, we didn't have any planets to go to.
"Now we have several hundred that are in the inhabitable zone. It's a really unprecedented time of genetics and astronomy coming together – we know what's needed to survive on another planet, and we know where we can go."
https://www.rt.com/op-ed/530379-dna-astronomy-connection-book-mason/
All in all, AP identified at least six sexual misconduct allegations involving senior FBI officials over the past five years. What's more, the media outlet found that each of the accused FBI officials seemed to have avoided discipline being "quietly transferred or retired" and kept their "full pensions and benefits even when probes substantiated the sexual misconduct claims against them." Some of AP's reported incidents were later picked by IG Horowitz for further investigation. In April 2021, the inspector general confirmed the media outlet's findings in his report.
https://sputniknews.com/us/202107281083479476-ill-be-your-sexual-freak-fbi-agents-harassing-colleagues-abusing-minors--boozing-while-on-duty/
- It seems like the US uses The Netherlands as a tool to keep Germany and France from any initiatives to improve the EU's relationship with Russia. Founder of the US think tank Stratfor George Friedman once explained: an alliance between Germany and Russia would be a threat to US dominance. "For centuries", the US has tried to prevent this from happening, he said.
In 1941, after Germany invaded the Soviet Union, then-US Senator and later President Harry Truman said: "If we see that Germany is winning the war, we ought to help Russia; and if that Russia is winning, we ought to help Germany, and in that way let them kill as many as possible".
https://sputniknews.com/columnists/202106281083259438-dutch-servitude-to-the-us-explained/
Kraft said a dominant adult male might catch and eat more than 30 fish a day and weigh over 1,000lb by the time winter comes. "When you look at how much weight bears need to gain to survive six months of famine, you can't help but cheer them on," she said.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/03/fat-bear-week-alaska
- The beagle research first came to light in August, when a watchdog group obtained government documents on the program. The group alleged such details as researchers drugging pups and locking their heads in mesh cages so hungry sand flies could infect them with disease-causing parasites by devouring their faces.
"I cannot believe American tax dollars would go to treat those dogs the way those dogs are treated, and you know, I really think Fauci needs to be held accountable," DeSantis said. "These people, these bureaucrats, they don't get to just run wild and do whatever the hell they want to with our tax dollars."
https://www.rt.com/usa/538445-desantis-fauci-mad-scientist/
The United States is still continuing its "massive cover-up" over the September 11, 2001 attacks in order to hide its own failures and to use the incident as a pretext to launch and justify wars in the Middle East, says a prominent American peace activist and FBI whistleblower.
Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent and division counsel, made the remarks in an interview with Press TV on Thursday, after US President Joe Biden directed the Justice Department and other agencies to review and release certain documents related to the FBI's investigation of the 9/11 that killed thousands of Americans.
The documents reportedly contain evidence of Saudi involvement in the strikes.
"I think there has been a massive cover-up about 9/11 for these last 20 years for a whole range of reasons including US government officials wanting to use 9/11 as a pretext to launch wars and government destabilization operations in the Mid-East as well as to protect their relationship with certain members of the Saudi Government (aka the Royal Family)," Rowley said.
"Officials also wanted to keep secret all kinds of wrongful and unethical actions (to include having instituted illegal torture programs) as well as committing other government mistakes and failures that are embarrassing to US officials," she added.
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2021/09/09/666163/US-9-11-attacks-Biden-FBI-documents-cover-up-investigation
- Whether it's building kingdoms by way of aggression, war and plunder or the modern enslavement of people by financial institutions, there's a genuine case to be made that imperialism is caused by the power of evil.
Are Empires demonic entities? The British Empire was invented by magician John Dee – a well-documented fact. He came up with the phrase and suggested it to Queen Elizabeth I. The story goes that he had conjured up a demon who inspired that imperial vision. Not bloody likely, of course, but the link between the demonic – the power of evil – and imperialism seems well-grounded.
My favourite historian, AJP Taylor, has written that the British imperialists overseas emulated Attila and his Huns. In North America, the British exterminated the native inhabitants… just as they had earlier striven to exterminate the natives of Ireland. "No Empire has marched forward with more savagery...they followed a simple rule: the only good Indian is a dead Indian." Verily, a formulation worthy of a demon.
https://www.rt.com/op-ed/535107-imperialism-caused-by-power-evil/
- Great ape fellatio may seem unorthodox, but it's really not. Oral sex is actually fairly common throughout the animal kingdom with sightings of species ranging from cheetahs to bears and bats engaging in the salacious act, the BBC has reported.
In fact, many species engage in sex for pleasure. Bonobos — also known as hippie apes — have infamously kinky sex lives.
https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/bronx-zoo-onlookers-shocked-by-gorilla-sex-show/news-story/8e1f0c1d449f08f1e1bb4e91faa765fe
- "Their playful nature was a reminder to the world of how much we see ourselves in these animals and it's one of the reasons Andre Bauma will miss her so dearly," park officials said.
A photo shows Bauma holding Ndakasi during her final moments. The gorilla's head rests on his chest in the sombre shot.
"It was a privilege to support and care for such a loving creature, especially knowing the trauma Ndakasi suffered at a very young age," Bouma said in a statement. "It was Ndakasi's sweet nature and intelligence that helped me to understand the connection between humans and great apes and why we should do everything in our power to protect them."
Bouma said he loved Ndakasi "like a child" and cherished her "cheerful personality" in the face of her traumatic past.
https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/female-gorilla-in-viral-2019-selfie-dies-in-arms-of-lifelong-friend/news-story/8bfa89c8a3ff9a42748d4f14d6ab198c
- How to start from scratch and hit $10k MRR (9 steps)
On indiehackers only 6% off all startups listed have crossed $10kMRR
That success rate might scare many but its purely because more startups start with "product" first and distribution second
Reverse that order and you'll almost always succeed. Say what you want, a superior growth plan beats a superior product.
We've managed to repeat this process for a few companies and ourselves so i thought i'd take the time to break it down here.
1) Get an idea or borrow one
Shorten your time to product market fit, as much as you can. Chase validation signals at every step of the way
2) Find out 2 things people are complaining about
Most startups these days are just enhanced versions of other startups
3) Find out where people are buying and looking for answers
Knowing where decisions are made is fundamental to your acquisition cycle
4) Sell in places where a crowd is
If acquisition is handled you can focus on building a better product
5) No code website + basic concept to get your initial traction and messaging going
Rapid iteration, stop being attached to an idea and instead stick to the problem
6) Partner with tech person + freelancer to build first version of product
Build the first version once you've got everything above sorted out
7) Offer free tools for marketing as easy way to attract leads + share with influencers
Veed, Kapwing, Zillow are grew to be multi million dollar businesses using this startegy
😎 Find ways to make your product visible
Invinsible products are harder to sell, try find ways to reduce CAC as you grow
9) Dominate SEO, search is very powerful - focus on pain point content creation
Search, IMO is the most sustainable and stable way to build a 8 figure brand
Full video walking through the entire process if you're keen!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69ghcmn0Nes
https://www.facebook.com/groups/sydneystartups
- The President's tirade in Latin at the end loosely translates as: "Thank you, Lord. Am I to believe these things from a righteous God, a just God, a wise God? To hell with your punishments! I was your servant, your messenger on the earth; I did my duty.
"The West Wing" Two Cathedrals (TV Episode 2001) - Trivia
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0745721/trivia

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Ableton and Ableton Push Hacking

For those who have been tracking this blog, it's been obvious that I've recently been spending more and more time with the Ableton Push.

If you don't know what this is please see the following...
https://www.ableton.com/en/help/learn-push/
http://blog.dubspot.com/learned-30-days-ableton-push/
http://sonicbloom.net/en/two-weekends-with-ableton-push-part-1-review/
http://emilehoogenhout.com/reviews/ableton-push-an-exploration-emile-hoogenhout/
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ableton+Live+9+%26+Push+Masterclass+Webinar  
Easy to miss Push features
https://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=196560
Helpful Push information.
https://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=215744

Jeremy Ellis meets Ableton Push
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdCgA54g-aM
Mad Zach Push Performance Walkthrough
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSZm4ECbE5k
Decap Push Performance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOtj5WtkR1Q

It's basically an advanced, modern musical instrument/MIDI controller.

There have been others who have attempted to de-compile and extend/modify the behaviour of the device but while information and the extensions that have been provided have been interesting and useful they have been somewhat limited.
https://github.com/gluon/AbletonLive9_RemoteScripts
http://julienbayle.net/ableton-live-9-midi-remote-scripts/
http://julienbayle.net/ableton-push/
ableton: just release the py midi remote scripts
https://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=134338
Live 9 MIDI Remote Scripts revealed...
https://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=190069
http://livecontrol.q3f.org/ableton-liveapi/articles/introduction-to-the-framework-classes/

I'm beginning to understand why. The following link provides an update to automatically generated documentation (via epydoc) of decompiled Ableton Remote Script code (my scripts for decompilation and automated documentation have been included in the package).

https://wiki.python.org/moin/DocumentationTools
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1125970/python-documentation-generator
http://sphinx-doc.org/
https://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=python-sphinx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_documentation_generators
https://packages.debian.org/stable/python/python-epydoc
https://packages.debian.org/wheezy/python-epydoc

If you want to make any additional modifications of behaviour you'll need to be aware of the following:
- you'll need to catch up on your Python coding
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/36901/what-does-double-star-and-star-do-for-python-parameters
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/400739/what-does-asterisk-mean-in-python
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickle_%28Python%29
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/514371/whats-the-bad-magic-number-error
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12233837/bad-magic-number-while-trying-to-import-pyc-module
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6034621/bad-magic-number-error-persists-even-after-rebuilding-the-pyc-file
https://shankaraman.wordpress.com/tag/how-to-fix-runtimeerror-bad-magic-number-in-pyc-file/
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/python/python_exceptions.htm
http://www.linuxtopia.org/online_books/programming_books/python_programming/python_ch17s03.html
- you'll need knowledge of how the device works, music and mathematical theory, Ableton, and core computing knowledge. It is not sufficient to know how they work seperately. You need to know how everything fits together.
- sounds obvious but start small and move up. This is critical particularly with reference to the awkward style of programming that they can sometimes resort to. More on this to below
- the code can vary in quality and style quite significantly at times. At times it seems incredibly clean, elegant, and well documented. At other times, it there is no documentation at all and doesn't seem to be well designed or engineered or have keep maintenance in mind. For instance, a commonly used design pattern is MVC. This doesn't seem to follow that. They use a heap of sentinels throughout there code. Moreover, the characters that are used can be a bit confusing. They don't use preprocesser directives/constants where they may be better suited. If you break certain aspects of the code you can end up breaking a whole lot of other parts. This may be deliberate (to reduce the chances of third party modification which is likely particularly as there seems to be some authentication/handshake mechasnisms in the code to stop it from working with 'uncertified devices') or not (they lack resources or just have difficult timelines to deal with)
https://mail.python.org/pipermail/tutor/2003-July/024206.html
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2682745/creating-constant-in-python
- be prepared to read through a lot of code just to understand/make a change to something very small. As stated previously strictly speaking at times they don't adhere to good practice. That said, other aspects can be changed extremely easily without breaking other components
- due to the previous two poits it should seem obvious that it can be very difficult to debug things sometimes. Here's the other thing you should note,
- the reason why Ableton suffers from strange crashes and hangs from time to time becomes much more obvious when you look at the way they code. In the past, I've built programs (ones which rely on automated code generation in particular) that relied on a lot of consecutive steps that required proper completion/sequencing for things to work properly. When things work well, things are great. When things break, you feel and look incredibly silly
- you may need to figure out a structure for ensuring and maintaining a clean coding environment. I try to have two screens with one for clean code and another for modified code. Be prepared to restart from scratch by reverting to a clean pyc code and only one or a small number of modified py files.
- caching occurs in situations where you may not entirely expect. If you can not explain what is happening and suspect caching just restart the system. Better yet, maintain your development environment in a virtual machine to reduce hardware stress caused by continual restarts.
- you will need patience. As stated previously, due to the way code has been structured (sometimes) you'll need to understand it properly to allow you to make changes without breaking other parts. Be prepared to modify, delete, or add code just to help you understand it
- if you've ever dealt with firmware or embedded devices on a regular basis you would be entirely familiar with some of what I'm talking about. Like a lot of embedded devices you'll have limited feedback if something goes wrong and you'll be scratching your head with regards to how to work the problem
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/if-only-reading-were-easier.html
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/funky-firmware.html
You may require a lot of Linux/UNIX based tools and other debugging utilities such as IDA Pro, Process Explorer and Process Monitor from the Sysinternals Suite. Once you examine Ableton using such utilities, it becomes much clearer how the program has been structured, engineered, and designed. One thing that can cause mayhem in particular is the Ableton Indexer which when it kicks in at the wrong time can make it feel as though the entire system has frozen.
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb545021.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sysinternals
Ablton indexing Crashes
https://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=206205
(42474187) Disable "Ableton Index" possible?
https://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=191573
http://audiosex.pro/index.php?/topic/11798-ableton-9-killing-index-process-to-speed-up-workflow/
http://audiosex.pro/index.php?/topic/11815-a-little-app-to-speed-up-live-9-mac-only/
https://www.ableton.com/en/help/article/indexer-crash/
The actual index file/s are located at
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Ableton\Live 9.1.7\Database
- the most relevant log file is located at,
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Ableton\Live 9.1.7\Preferences\Log.txt
The timestamps works on the basis on amount of time since program startup. Time of startup is clearly outlined.
Ableton takes 130 - 2 mins to start up ?
https://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6308
Delete it if you need to if you get confused about how it works.
https://www.ableton.com/en/help/article/live-crash-packs/
https://www.ableton.com/en/help/article/live-crashing-what-should-i-do-now/
https://www.ableton.com/en/help/article/how-to-out-of-memory/
- be aware that there are some things that you can't do anything about. The original Novation Launchpad was considered somewhat sluggish in terms of refresh rate and latency. The electronics were subsequently updated in the Novation Launchpad S to deal with it. You may encounter similar circumstances here.
Push browser - slow, freezing, sluggish :(
https://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=215539
- they have a strong utility/systems engineering mentality. A lot of files are archives which include relatively unobfuscated content. For instance, look in a
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Ableton\Live 9.1.7\Live Reports
and you'll find a lot of 'alp' files. These are 'Crash Reports' which are sent to Ableton to help debug problems. Rename them to a gz file extension and run it through hexedit. Same with 'adg' audio device group files. Rename to gz and gunzip to see a flat XML file containing some encoded information but mostly free/human readable content. It will be interesting to see how much of this can be manually altered achieving flexibility in programming without having to understand the underlying file format.
https://www.ableton.com/en/help/article/filetypes-used-by-ableton/
- each version of Ableton seems to have a small version of Python included. To make certain, advanced extensions others have suggested installing a libraries seperately or a different version of Python...
- be prepared to learn multiple protocols and languages in order to make the changes that you want
How to control the Push LCD text with sysex messages
https://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=193744
http://archive.monome.org/community/discussion/1648/share-your-arduinomonome-code/p1
http://hackaday.com/2008/08/13/rgb-monome-clone/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protofuse
http://julienbayle.net/works/creation/protodeck-midi-controller-for-ableton-live/

For a lot of people, the device seems incredibly expensive for what amounts to a MIDI controller. It was much the same with me. The difference is that it's becoming increasingly clear how flexible the device can be with adequate knowledge of the platform.
http://www.nativekontrol.com/
http://blog.dubspot.com/5-ableton-push-software-devices/
Push feature requests
https://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=192110
The Ableton Push is a good platform but it will never realise it's full potential if the software isn't upgraded.

If you are interested in signing up to test the latest Beta version of Ableton please see the following...
https://ableton.centercode.com/signup/

- as usual thanks to all of the individuals and groups who purchase and use my goods and services
http://sites.google.com/site/dtbnguyen/
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com.au/

Monday, March 11, 2013

Laptop Hacking and Hardware Workarounds

If you've been around long enough sometimes you'll realise that people are sometimes unwilling to pay for the parts required in order to get the job done and you have to make do. A while back someone left me with an Acer Aspire One which had its fair share of problems but I was able to get going.

http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/cleanup-operations.html

However, he neglected to purchase a power switch/cable. Obviously, these are key parts of any electronic device but the cost of them actually constitute a large proportion of the cost of the device itself. I've decided to turn it into an experimental device.

By hooking pins 2/3 of the power connector on mainboard to the the pins corresponding to relevant contact points of a 3.5mm sound socket/plug (a multi-meter with an audible continuity tester is extremely useful but you can also use guesswork, or a battery, some wires, and a standard multi-meter/LED to get around this problem) I've turned the the microphone socket into a a partial solution to power control. The other part involes a microphone plug which is then hooked up to a SPST LED switch.

http://search.jaycar.com.au/search?w=spst%20led%20switch&view=list
http://search.jaycar.com.au/search?w=3.5mm%20stereo%20plug&view=list

While I was in Jaycar I noticed these (SPST switches that require a physical key). Not a bad security option actually... How can you hack something if you can't  power it up?


- clear that this particular machine had poor build quality. Even some basic things like the SD card reader slot needed some more thought/work. Based on personal experience tolerances and physical dimensions of memory cards are not identical and often vary from one manufacturer to another which means that sometimes cards from a particular manufacturer will get stuck and need to be extracted via abnormal means. This card slot erred on the side of being slightly too small. So many extra pieces which were not required. Small number of larger panels compared to larger number of smaller panels more preferable as the smaller ones tend to break more easily. Better to use more screws than snap lock type systems which when breached are often unrealistic to repair in spite of advances in glues, cements, and my experiments with plastic welding.

- if you've ever repaired/modified laptops before you'll realise how specialised how some parts are and how difficult it is to find replacements (which are often expensive as well). This is particularly the case with parallel style cables that are often used for data transfer. I fashioned the required cable by using Scotch tape and filaments extracted from multi-stranded wire from junk electronic equipment. Obviously, this is not easy and could lead to terminal problems. I consider it only a method of last resort because if you don't do the job cleanly it's likely you'll have reached a point of no return and won't be able to go back. Some tips,  remove the clamps which hold the cables in place, clean the connections first, and then attempt to add some solder/flux to the relevant elements which you mean to connect. Then attempt to the final connection. Obviously, too high a level of heat and you could burn away tracks, to low and you won't be able to get the solder to flow and it will increase the difficulty of the job. Not enough solder will mean a loose connection while too much will make it hard to put the system back together without deformities.

- fashioning a cable is not easy. Try to make life easier for yourself. Use maintenance manuals when/where ever possible to find out which connections are superfluous and do not bother with them.

The reason why I say this is because making a cable is far more difficult than you think without a decent lab/equipment (use cables from another laptop if at all possible!). Simple things like keeping the wiring straight and insulated from it's neighbour are an issue. Several options include:

- using a single wire strand and then enclosing it with tape, then wrapping this with the next wire and so on
- using paper to create a backing which you could then begin to glue the wires to
Reaslitically you're limited to creating cables only for:
- speakers
- memory cards
- trackpads
- power
- antennas
Basically anything less than six pins/connections and it shouldn't be too difficult. Any more and you'll require skill/patience/time.

Data card (optical drive and hard drive in particular) cables should definitely not be attempted by those who don't have good hands and technical knowledge. As I've discovered many odd things that can result which with cause/effects relationships that are not immediately clear when making custom modifications. In my case, the Aspire One works perfectly fine if you leave the switch in permanently. Remove it and re-insert (or any other electronic devices such as USB devices) while the power source remains intact and the machine may not boot properly next time (fiddle around with the ordering and it will work again though. Need more time to understand the bug compeltely...).  Like I've said though it's a hack and does minimal/no permanent damage to the system (I was considering drilling but there's little room to work with as it is. The recording socket seemed like the most obvious option since it is rarely used unlike network and USB ports).

- use dollar/discount store as a place from which to extract parts from toys which you can not find elsewhere. Membrane type switches are a constant source of pain for me and often I find that just breaking it off from another device is the only way that I can find one (creating one is also possible but also requires skill/time/patience. Possibly more than that required of creating a cable)

BIOS hacking introduction/roundup for those who are interested (a continuation from some of my previous posts/work obviously. Even if it is related to compliance issues there are surely better ways around this than a hardware whitelist?).
http://forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/20223-Remove-whitelist-check-add-ID-s-to-break-hardware-restrictions-mod-requests
http://www.sbbala.com/DellWWAN/Whitelist.htm
http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/General-Discussion/WWAN-and-wireless-card-BIOS-whitelists-Lenovo-COME-ON/td-p/952681
http://www.prizepony.us/2010/12/hacking-the-hp-nx5000-bios-whitelist/
http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/140664-whitelist-bios-for-dv2000-dv2710us/
http://www.endeer.cz/bios.tools/bios.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/54350-2-laptops-blacklist-whitelist-nics-bios
http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/703862-cf-52-wifi-bios-whitelist.html
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/forum2.php?config=tomshardwareuk.inc&cat=20&post=58770&page=1&p=1&sondage=0&owntopic=1&trash=&trash_post=&print=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0

Freezing issue on an Acer. Interesting how many tangets they took.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1702462
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Acer-Aspire-One-522-Netbook.50481.0.html
http://www.umpcportal.com/2011/03/acer-aspire-one-522-upgrade-how-to-and-tests/

Linux on the Toshiba AC100. A so called 'Smartbook'.
http://code.google.com/p/cm-paz00/downloads/list
http://www.tabletroms.com/forums/ac100-rom-development/3562-android-4-0-toshiba-ac100-firmware-review-installation-ice-cream-sandvich-4-0-a.html
http://wiki.debian.org/InstallingDebianOn/Toshiba/AC100
http://kotelett.no/ac100/README/
http://pole.su/Toshiba-AC100-Ubuntu-2.6.37-install-ENG.htm
http://pole.su/Toshiba-AC100-Fedora-2.6.37-install-ENG.htm
http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/10/hacked-toshiba-ac100-ubuntu-10-10-is-running/

Interesting articles on power management/consumption under Linux and how to re-pack a laptop battery.
http://www.overclock.net/t/1205257/overclock-cpu-in-linux-necessary-program-names-given
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2006/04/how-much-power-does-my-laptop-really-use.html
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=67965&sid=2965074f1377886634859c9c48f0dd77
http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/rebuilding-laptop-battery

Disabling cores doesn't really help with power saving and may even increase it in some cases.
http://pundiramit.blogspot.com.au/2010/07/how-to-disable-cpu-cores-in-multicore.html
http://www.absolutelytech.com/2011/08/01/how-to-disable-cpu-cores-in-linux/
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/318586-28-solved-disabling-cores-save-energy

Disappearing Optical Drive Fix
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

- as usual thanks to all of the individuals and groups who purchase and use my goods and services
http://sites.google.com/site/dtbnguyen/
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com.au/

Ender 3v2 and Ender 3vSE 3D Printer Maintenance, Klipper Firmware Upgrade, and More

Ender 3v2 and Ender 3vSE 3D Printer Maintenance: - after using a 3D printer for a few months now it's started to play up. The limit ...