Danie van der Merwe

Bitfocus Companion is a Cross-Platform Open-Source app for the Elgato Stream Deck

Sat, 07 Sep 2024 12:46:04 +0200

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

Bitfocus Companion is a Cross-Platform Open-Source app for the Elgato Stream Deck

Bitfocus Companion enables the reasonably priced Elgato Streamdeck and other controllers to be a professional shotbox surface for an increasing amount of different presentation switchers, video playback software and broadcast equipment. It has over 500 ready-to-use connectors to interface with numerous hardware devices (for presentations, music and video production work, cameras, etc) and for software services (YouTube, Twitch, Google Sheets, Zoom, OBS Studio, Slack, Home Assistant, etc).

In this video, I show how I'm using it for general gaming and productivity use at home. I show examples of how to start creating buttons, how to use delays and feedbacks, and some workarounds for auto-page changing (if you have a small deck), using global shortcut keys under Wayland and X11, opening an Obsidian Note, running OS updates, and more. I also show a workaround I use in gaming to hold a button to execute repairs whilst I do other things in the War Thunder game, like shooting back at the enemy.

My Stream Deck also works as a mini-dashboard for my Home Assistant to alert me of warning conditions for my solar system, home router, server, etc.

I spend some time too on the page I use for OBS Studio which has a button that visually shows the microphone recording level, zooming controls, warnings for microphone muted, etc.

The video is intended to give you a feeling of what this software can do and what its interface looks like. I also do a quick high-level comparison of how it compares to the StreamController software, which I did a video about a month or two back. In that video, I also showed how I use a Stream Deck to automate some spreadsheet functionality.

Watch - YouTube

Auf YouTube findest du die angesagtesten Videos und Tracks. Außerdem kannst du eigene Inhalte hochladen und mit Freunden oder gleich der ganzen Welt teilen.

#technology #streamdeck #opensource #productivity

technology productivity StreamDeck opensource

Bluetooth 6.0 has more security and precision for tracking, hotel doors and finding

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 23:14:44 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

Bluetooth 6.0 has more security and precision for tracking, hotel doors and finding

Bluetooth 6.0 introduces a feature called Channel Sounding, which can determine the distance between two devices with “centimeter-level accuracy,” according to the Bluetooth SIG. To do this, it uses phase-based ranging to send radio signals between two devices — say your iPhone and your AirTag — at different frequencies, allowing it to calculate the distance between them.

Does that mean the millions of tracker devices need to be replaced....?

Additionally, Bluetooth 6.0’s Channel Sounding is supposed to address some of the security concerns that come with digital keys that are used to unlock your car or hotel room. With more precise tracking information, developers can make sure a device only unlocks when a digital key is within a specific range.

With the use of Bluetooth being everywhere, and it also being such a common vector for attack, it is excellent news seeing updates at last to address these issues.

See Bluetooth 6.0 has more security and precision for tracking and finding

It could make it easier to locate lost devices.

#technology #Bluetooth

technology bluetooth

SSDs have a secret way to protect your data when they fail

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 11:52:44 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

SSDs have a secret way to protect your data when they fail

Many SSDs will use SMART to keep track of how close they are to failure, and when they cross a threshold that indicates failure is imminent, they will lock down and enter a read-only state. This means that you can't write anything to them, but it's also a clear sign to the user to get everything off of the drive while it still works. You can tell if your SSD has entered that state if you can't unlock it to write to it.

This will be reassuring to many who think if an SSD fails, it is basically not usable and the data is gone. So, if you've used an SDD for quite a while (a good many years) and it suddenly no longer boots, check on another computer (it's SMART stats should show if it failed). You should be able to clone it to a new SDD drive and carry on working with your data intact.

See SSDs have a secret way to protect your data when they fail

You may not know it, but your SSD will try to protect your data when it fails so you can copy it off safely.

#technology #SSD

technology SSD

The FloorBoard - a DIY Foot Operated PC Button Pad

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 16:36:39 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

The FloorBoard - a DIY Foot Operated PC Button Pad

The FloorBoard would be useful for people with limited use of their hands hence the inclusion in the Assistive Tech channel. For example, using the foot button for 'Control' means that just one finger is required for 'Copy' (Ctrl C). This avoids the necessity of using Sticky Keys (an accessibility feature in Windows designed to assist users who may have difficulty holding down multiple keys simultaneously).

It may even appeal to gamers where it could emulate foot controls such as car and aircraft pedals. Many games requite a forward and reverse action, and I must say I do find the WASD buttons a bit difficult to move quickly with in the heat of battle.

See The FloorBoard - a Foot Operated PC Button Pad

The FloorBoard - a Foot Operated PC Button Pad: After many years of service my plastic footrest finally split in two. I ordered a (stronger) replacement manufactured by Wedo. This is the 'Relax' Tilting Footrest model 2751 available from Amazon (see supplies list).
It is a strong, well designed u…

#technology #gaming #DIY

technology gaming

You’ll Never Know How Accurate Your Fitness Tracker Is, and That’s OK

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 12:08:05 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

You’ll Never Know How Accurate Your Fitness Tracker Is, and That’s OK

The appeal of fitness-tracking smartwatches is that they have all the answers. They turn our squishy bodies’ inscrutable secrets into hard numbers we can plainly read and analyze. But we would be fooling ourselves if we believed that our smartwatches always tell the truth. According to a new scientific analysis, not only do wearables often get things wrong, it may not be possible to ever really know how accurate they are.

This isn’t going to be shocking news to longtime Lifehacker readers. We’ve discussed the fact that some smartwatch metrics are more reliable than others, and that calorie burn is one of the less accurate ones. On the other hand, heart rate variability shows different raw numbers from one device to another, but the major recovery-focused devices all manage to capture the same rough trend—if you trust my homebrew study with a sample size of one.

So what do we know about the accuracy of the smartwatches on the market, and why is it so hard to answer that question? That’s the problem that the recent analysis, from a group of sports scientists and data scientists in Ireland, set out to answer. It’s an umbrella review—a study of studies of studies—that aimed to collect all the relevant published data on consumer wearables.

I suppose, much like taking most vitamins, trackers can make us feel better about ourselves. It's not to say they are useless, but they are not medical grade accuracy, and as I posted recently, there is also no absolute "maximum heart rate" that works for everyone. So it is better to use these to keep track of changes, and look out for signs when you maybe need to go visit a doctor.

Steve Jobs would have been right as well about especially wrist based trackers, as a lot depends on how you wear it. Too loose, too low on the wrist, etc can make a massive difference.

And also very true that models get replaced so quickly with new one's, and good testing takes time to get done.

See You’ll Never Know How Accurate Your Fitness Tracker Is, and That’s OK

The appeal of fitness-tracking smartwatches is that they have all the answers. They turn our squishy bodies’ inscrutable secrets into hard numbers we can plainly read and analyze. But we would be fooling ourselves if we believed that our smartwatches always tell the truth. According to a new scientific analysis, not only do wearables often get things wrong, it may not be possible to ever really know how accurate they are.

#technology #health #trackers

technology health

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 14:17:19 +0200

Wolfgang Strobl

ws01@diasp.org

IMHO, accuracy is somewhat overrated. I don't wear a watch and didn't use any personal fitness-tracking device until a few years ago. But I learned to value being able to measure my fitness by tracking various values using a Garmin device on my bicycle, speed, power, cadence and distance from sensors on the bike, pulse from a pulse belt (accurate) or optical sensor (less accurate, but good enough). Had an exhaustion test at our family doctors practice before, in order to determe my maximum heart rate under medical supervision.

It's not about feeling, it's about being able to burn off energy on the safe side, up to exhaustion, but in a way that is best for getting fitter (or about staying fit, at my age).

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 16:26:53 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

@Wolfgang Strobl and I suppose for many it encourages them to go exercise a bit too

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 19:22:41 +0200

Wolfgang Strobl

ws01@diasp.org

Perhaps. But I fear that sedentary people who intend to exercise just a little bit won't really profit much from using a fitness tracker. In order to achieve an effect, one needs to know how to interpret the measured values when it comes to making neither too little nor too much effort. Persistence is also required.

WHO Review: ‘No link’ between mobile phones and brain cancer

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 11:22:19 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

WHO Review: ‘No link’ between mobile phones and brain cancer

The final analysis included 63 studies from 1994-2022, assessed by 11 investigators from 10 countries, including the Australian government’s radiation protection authority.

Despite the huge rise in the use of wireless technology, there has not been a corresponding increase in the incidence of brain cancers, the review, published on Tuesday, found. That applies even to people who make long phone calls or those who have used mobile phones for more than a decade.

WHO’s evaluation will be released in the first quarter of next year.

I've commented on this before, during the peak of the 5G cell tower 'panic'. There were all sorts of confusion about different frequencies, electromagnetic types, and over distances. Many heard the words 'microwave frequencies' and confused this with putting their heads inside a microwave oven. Light and audible sounds are both frequencies, but sound is going to do more damage as it is at a lower frequency and penetrates deeper. The higher the frequency, the less the penetration through solid objects. The human skull actually does a pretty good job of shielding ultra-high frequencies (and in fact even the skin does so).

But it is good to finally have it shown there is no link found, which bears out the long-known theories that hold true for radio transmissions.

See 'No link' between mobile phones and brain cancer - TechCentral

There is no link between mobile phone use and an increased risk of brain cancer, according to a new WHO-commissioned review.

#technology #cancer #conspiracytheory #health

technology health cancer conspiracytheories

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 11:54:03 +0200

NorVegan

norvegan@zotum.net

It took around 5-6000 studies to link smoking and cancer, so I won't put too much faith in 63 studies... especially not when there's so much money involved.

As far as I know, every phone manufacturer has a warning saying you should not keep the phone close to your head. A well hidden warning, but a warning nonetheless.

Unfortunately, big money has such a heavy influence on the research now that you can't really trust anything. It's better to be cautious, just in case.

Scientific Regress | William A. Wilson

The problem with science is that so much of it simply isn’t. Last summer, the Open Science . . . .

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 20:11:47 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

@NorVegan true, hopefully the report also digs into the disclaimers and funding sources.

Samsung Food Plus could be the ultimate meal-planning app but it costs $7 per month

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 16:18:09 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

Samsung Food Plus could be the ultimate meal-planning app but it costs $7 per month

New features on Samsung’s AI-powered food and recipe app could make your meal planning and food management chores much easier. With Samsung Food, you can now add items to a Food List just by taking a picture. The app can then suggest recipes based on the food you have, automatically remove them when you cook a recipe using anything on the list, then add food items back to the list when you tick them off your shopping list.

Samsung says the service now creates meal plans based on your food list and prioritizes items “nearing use-by date” (this has to be set manually). Plus, a new “Search with Your Food List” feature lets you easily find a recipe based on what you have. All this should make meal planning and shopping much easier, as long as you’re willing to do it all in Samsung’s app.

Vision AI leverages your phone’s camera to identify items to add to your Food List. Just snap a picture of whatever is in your pantry or fridge, and the ingredients will be added to the list. Once you’ve cooked something, the app can automatically remove it from the food list and add it to the shopping list in the Samsung Food app. When you shop using the list, the app can automatically add items purchased to your food list.

This app really does seem to have achieved a level of perfection, if it really does what it promises. Quite a few of these features are already in the free and self-hosted Grocy app, but the work is a lot more manual in Grocy. I'd imagine though this Samsung app may be really worth it for larger households, or where someone operates a household on a more professional basis.

And of course being cloud based means you need to continue paying, will struggle if you lose Internet access, or it will all die if Samsung loses interest in it.

See With AI food recognition Samsung Food could be the ultimate meal-planning app

Samsung’s meal-planning app can now recognize the food in your fridge — no smart fridge required.

#technology #pantry #shopping #meals

technology meals pantry shopping

A Cheap Xiaomi Mi Router can become a Powerhouse using Free Open-Source OpenWRT

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 14:10:07 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

A Cheap Xiaomi Mi Router can become a Powerhouse using Free Open-Source OpenWRT

I should just state at the outset that configuring OpenWRT can be a bit daunting. It is very powerful and customisable, but it may take a few hours to figure out how to get everything done if you're bridging networks, and setting up upstream DHCP, etc. What didn't help me was also realising that when I wanted to bridge my networks, this router was clashing with my Asus router using the same network addresses. So a good idea is to set it to use a different network segment, e.g. 192.168.0.1/24 or 192.168.2.1/24. After that, things came to life.

Flashing the firmware was quite easy after I had verified my Xiaomi Mi router was a Generation 1 version, and I just followed the instructions from the OpenWRT site which included running three Windows .bat files which did everything.

The basics do work fine, remembering you need to enable wireless networking and just bind them to the LAN zone. But imagine your cheapy router now being able to do VLANs, have powerful options for firewalling, DNS, DHCP, routing, SSH login, and much more. I do like that for potentially breaking changes, it offers an option to do auto rollback. I also managed to lock myself out of the router after I enabled upstream DHCP which somehow did not work like I expected it to (solution being to just set a static IP on your laptop and connect to the LAN port to get back in — except Windows 10 also has a broken static IP address so you need to use Control Panel to set that).

This router is actually just used a sort of hotspot so it does sit behind my main firewalled router, and I can experiment a bit with it. My Asus will stop receiving updates in the coming few months, so I'm thinking of ref lashing it to OpenWRT instead then.

It is certainly worth trying though, but if you really don't come right with OpenWRT, then Tomato OS is almost as configurable, and a bit more user-friendly. I'd liken the OpenWRT a bit to the MikroTik type software. The other big advantages though, as I previously mentioned, were getting updates after the OEM no longer provides then, and of course, unlocking masses of features for pretty cheap routers. And of course it also has a dark theme!

More photos at A Cheap Xiaomi Mi Router can become a Powerhouse using Free Open-Source OpenWRT

I should just state at the outset that configuring OpenWRT can be a bit daunting. It is very powerful and customisable, but it may take a few hours to figure out how to get everything done if you're bridging networks, and setting up upstream DHCP, etc. What didn't help me was also realising that when...

#technology #opensource #routers #OpenWRT

technology opensource routers OpenWRT

Review: South Africa's Clicks branded Double Edge Razor Blades for R13 for 5 Blades

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 12:39:03 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

Review: South Africa's Clicks branded Double Edge Razor Blades for R13 for 5 Blades

Really impressed with these blades! I did my review on my blog along with a few photos, so it is best read there at the link below.

See Review: South Africa’s Clicks branded Double Edge Razor Blades for R13 for 5 Blades

I just spotted these blades a week ago at Clicks in South Africa, and thought I'd better buy them to try out, seeing we have a really dismal selection of blades in retail stores in South Africa. At R12.99 (US$0.72) for the pack of 5 blades, I was not going to lose a lot of...

#SouthAfrica #razorblades #traditionalwetshaving #shaving #Clicks

SouthAfrica wetshaving traditionalwetshaving Clicks razorblades

Free Your Music from the Cloud with Open-Source Volumio Pi

Sat, 31 Aug 2024 21:24:12 +0200

Danie van der Merwe

gadgeteer@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

Free Your Music from the Cloud with Open-Source Volumio Pi

Volumio is a free, open-source music player designed to unify all your music in one convenient place. In addition to offering its range of streaming boxes for purchase, Volumio also supports a variety of third-party devices.

The Volumio project is led by audiophiles and music enthusiasts who strive to ensure that Volumio and Volumio OS deliver the best sound quality possible. While their devices offer superior sound compared to a Raspberry Pi, it's hard to beat the Pi's affordability.

What is key here though is that most users do get a proper high fidelity add-on card for their Pi's. There are also a number of additional plugins that extend the functionality. If you're interested, it is worth watching a few videos on YouTube (or elsewhere) that show more of how the functionality works.

See Free Your Music from the Cloud with Volumio Pi