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Tasmota and IR Blaster – Neo Coolcam NAS-IR03W
After my previous debacle getting an IR Blaster to work with Tasmota, I purchased a Neo Coolcam from Aliexpress (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33040426244.html) – and I’m glad I did. Other then the firmware version this proved to be really good for hacking. The board is trivial to open (just rotate the top off, like opening a jar). The…
Read MoreAercus WeatherSleuth Weatherstation / MQTT / Security thoughts
I recently got my hands on an Aercus Weathersleuth Weatherstation. This is a fairly nice piece of kit. One of its benefits is it can talk to the internet or an arbitrary server. A bit of poking around revealed it communicates by way of an HTTP post request which looks as follows – http://ADDRESS.SPECIFIED.IN.CONFIG/weatherstation/updateweatherstation.php?ID=IDINCONFIG&PASSWORD=PWINCONFIG&tempf=64.8&humidity=79&dewptf=58.1&windchillf=64.8&winddir=48&windspeedmph=2.46&windgustmph=2.46&rainin=0.00&dailyrainin=0.00&weeklyrainin=0.00&monthlyrainin=0.00&yearlyrainin=0.00&solarradiation=152.45&UV=1&indoortempf=-9999&indoorhumidity=-9999&baromin=-9999&lowbatt=0&dateutc=20165-10-0%202:29:46&softwaretype=Weather%20logger%20V2.1.9&action=updateraw&realtime=1&rtfreq=5 On…
Read MoreTZT AT89C2051 Digital LED Display 4 Bits Electronic Clock Electronic Production Suite DIY Kit 0.56 Inch Red Two Alarm Programming / Instruction
I purchased a kit-set clock/alarm kit for my kids to build to learn to solder. Unfortunately, while it came with soldering instructions (which it didn’t need), it did not come with programming instructions and the supplier is no more. Below are partial instructions I’ve discovered through the web and playing around. The clock has 2…
Read MoreOwners Manual for ProRunner 310R Motorized Treadmill
I purchased said Treadmill from Torpedo 7 a few months ago, and the manual has been sitting around the machine, looking ugly. As its only 16 pages, black and white, I cant be bothered finding a place to keep it. (It would make my library of exercise machinery manuals to large), so I’ve digitized a…
Read MoreDissecting a cheap Time Release Lock
Some months ago I acquired a dead-on-arrival time release lock – the type that typically sells on Aliexpress and eBay for about US$20, appropriately described as “Multipurpose Time Lock” but more commonly “Fetish Electronic Timer” or, in the type of English unique to China “Adult Game Fetish Handcuffs”. Unfortunately there does not seem to be…
Read MoreDIY IOT Heated Towel Rail Timer
In order to save electricity I made a heated towel rail timer, and, because its 2019, made it controllable through a web page available on my home network. This project cost less then half the price of a basic timer. Here is how I did it and how you can leverage my experience and avoid…
Read MoreFree Roundcube Skin
I am quite used to the “Larry” Roundcube skin, and did not find the default theme to be as comfortable to use – however I have 2 mail boxes which I want to keep separate, but still use with Roundcube. Looking for alternative themes did not yield an awful lot of options, and the ones…
Read MoreOneplus 3 Nougat with R/W System
I recently upgraded my Oneplus 3 to OxygenOS 4.0.3 – which runs Android 7.0. I discovered that I could no longer write to the hosts file to do ad blocking and this was driving me crazy, so I set about changing the OS to allow me to do this – it required a single letter…
Read MoreResolving shared WordPress Email issue
I like using a database to directly drive my virtual webhosting – this means that each account on the system has a UID and GID, but no username associated with it (ie in /etc/passwd or getent passwd) Because of this, when users try and send an email in WordPress (eg to reset their password), WordPress…
Read MoreHangsun S80 Lamp
I purchased one of these lamps in 2016. Below details my findings and some help to others (maybe). The product is not good at all – indeed if returning it were a practical option I would – but because I live down-under, shipping costs make this prohibitive – so I’ve tried to make the best…
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