IoT Security And Local Control

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IoT Security And Local Control

PSA for today. Home Automation. And this will be quick.

There are so many smart devices out there. Almost all operate with an app and many of them are from a place called Tuya. There are shelves full of this stuff at Walmart, Target, BestBuy, etc.

Tuya has an awful security record. You can easily see all manner of vulnerability reports out there on your Google searches. I recently reviewed an item and mentioned it was from Tuya and that the app required access to your cellular data among other things. The company came back and lambasted me for saying that. Reasonably sure they will never send me anything else to review.

The norm out there in the past was to buy a device with an ESP8266 or ESP32 chip. The consumer then had the ability to reflash the firmware to ensure your smart device wasn’t a network security threat. Or you could buy some smart devices pre-flashed.

IoT Security

In the past week or two one of my smart devices seemed to be acting up. An outdoor outlet that controls landscape lighting here. I decided to just buy a new device and flash the firmware.

I couldn’t find one to buy. Actually it is more accurate to say that I couldn’t find the SAME ONE to buy. There is an identical looking device with the same part number but with a -1 at the end. Guess what? You can’t use it for local control. It has to have that app. They have locked you out from putting a 3rd party firmware on their device.

After looking around at other similar smart devices it sure seems like it is trending in that direction for many home automation items.

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ANCEL DS200 OBD2 – Pays For Itself With The 1st Use

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ANCEL DS200 OBD2 – Pays For Itself With The 1st Use

I have had the pleasure of working with the great team over at ANCEL on a few reviews lately. So when they contacted me again with a list of items they offered up I honed in instantly on their ANCEL DS200 OBD2. OBD stands for On Board Diagnostics and has been standard on most cars since 1996.

I have tested a few OBD2 devices from a few different manufacturers in the past and all I can say is that they pale in comparison to the DS200.

Having this diagnostic data available to the you BEFORE you go to the repair shop can literally save you some serious money. This could pay for itself on the very first use.

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USB-C PD – A Guide To Fast Charging

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USB-C PD – A Guide To Fast Charging

USB-C PD

It always seems that your devices lose a charge at the most unopportune time. And it can feel like forever until they get charged back up again to use. What if there were a better way? Enter: USB-C PD.

I hate to say that USB-C PD is not well known. In fact it is safer to say that not that many people know it exists at all. Or what it is capable of.

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Clawlab H1 Tufting Kit Review

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Clawlab H1 Tufting Kit Review

This blog has been a long time coming. The great folks at Clawlab asked me if I wanted to review their Clawlab H1 Tufting Kit.

I told my marketing point of contact that they were barking up the wrong tree asking me to review something crafty that required artistic ability. I am NOT that guy.

They told me that I was just the kind of person they were looking for. So I finally relented. And for a couple of months I was convinced that my take on this whole tufting thing was more correct than their take on the tufting thing.

And then one day the AH-HA light bulb finally went off over my head and I began to understand. But let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

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Purifighter Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration

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Purifighter Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration

Purifighter Reverse Osmosis

Recently I was contacted by the company Purifighter and was provided the opportunity to review their Reverse Osmosis water filtration system. The model I was provided was the Purifighter Gaiya Standard ($428).

Fresh drinking water is literally critical to life and sustained health. Having access to clean water during a catastrophic event such as a hurricane can be critical for you and your family.

Purifighter also makes another version called the Gaiya Heating ($468). As the name implies it also delivers hot water for making tea, coffee, soups, or heating emergency food stores.

While the attractive design makes it right at home in the kitchen I can confirm it works in an off grid situation as well. At around 19 lbs. it is portable enough to take with you for camping. Or if you don’t trust the water in the city or hotel you are staying at it is also easy enough to carry especially if you purchase their travel bag ($39.99)

NOTE TO SELF: Buy one of those travel bags.

Next we’ll discuss how to use the Purifighter Gaiya Standard in an off grid situation.

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Zimaboard 2 – Intel N150 Single Board Computer

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Zimaboard 2 – Intel N150 Single Board Computer

Zimaboard 2

I’ve been eyeballing this Zimaboard 2, Intel N150 based single board computer since it hit the scene.

Suffice to say though I am a Raspberry Pi Geek, through and through. I have a server rack with 8 of them. Then I have a mini rack with 3 more of them.

Additionally, I have a couple of those N150 GMKtec mini computers. I need another single board computer like I need another hole in my head. Which of course means that I broke down and got the Zimaboard 2 1664 version.

“Someone finally found the middle space between a single board computer and a mini-PC. Kudos to IceWhale.”

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Mecpow M1 Laser Engraver Review

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Best Beginner Laser – Mecpow M1 Review

So you want to use a laser and you want to make money doing a side hustle? If you have never used a laser then you probably should start small, then hone your craft and then upgrade. In the interim I have found a great solution to getting started. The Mecpow M1 Laser Engraver.

Mecpow contacted me and asked me to review their beginner laser and I took one look and agreed.

The purchase cost is currently around $159 for a 3.5 watt and $179 for the 5 watt version. That is a steal for a laser engraver.

NOTE: My readers can get an additional 15% off by using the Code JOHNM1 at checkout.

Additionally, Mecpow will be offering a giveaway on their social media on February 26th! Be sure to check that out!

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Alpicool C20 Portable Refrigerator Freezer LCD Repair

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Alpicool C20 Portable Refrigerator Freezer LCD Repair

Alpicool C20

In January of 2020 I bought an Alpicool C20 refrigerator / freezer. At that time I had set up a solar array and had turned one room in my home into a 12 volt off grid space.

We live in Hurricane Alley and I had that room set up to sustain us for 3-5 days, if there were no sun to recharge the solar.

I called the room the “Life Boat”. It had lighting, radios, ham radios, a laptop with a TV dongle and of course the Alpicool C20. When I got it I reviewed it and you can find it here. Essentially since January of 2021 this fridge has been in constant use. Basically, 5 years of use.

It still works perfectly but has developed one issue. Read on to see!

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M17 Project CC1200 Hotspot

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M17 Project CC1200 Hotspot

M17 Project CC1200 Hotspot

Last year I made a post about how to set up an M17 Project CC1200 Hotspot. It can be found here. Those directions are old. And these are the new ones.

I’ll leave that post up for historical context and it discusses how to get the CC1200 hotspot board, and how to program the CS7000 M17 radio from Connect Systems.

Let’s see if we can simplify this a little. Actually, a lot.

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Mobile Pixels Duex Plus DS Review

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Mobile Pixels Duex Plus DS Review

Mobile Pixels Duex Plus DS

I was contacted recently by the CEO of Mobile Pixels to review the Mobile Pixels Duex Plus DS portable monitor ($169.99 on Amazon)

Additionally, I was provided the 13.3″ screen since I indicated I had a 13″ MacBookAir. Man, I sure wish that I had one of these during my working years. This is great for blogging.

I’m able to view my web design portal in my browser on one screen while reading the product manual and various other technical documents and also reviews on the other screen. I’m one of those weirdos that has 10 open tabs in a browser at any given time.

This really does improve my workflow. I simply cannot deny that. Also, the screen can be set as a main display, extended display, or mirrored display. I personally like the extended display the most.

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