Tech blog with tips, tricks and hacks
for EVs, hardware, software, home automation, programming and more
As hybrid working becomes the new normal, we all need better, more efficient setups both at home and in the office, but affordable. One of the most overlooked essentials is a reliable USB-C docking station.Whether you’re jumping between hot desks, managing a dual-screen home office, switching between work and personal devices, the right USB-C dock
In recent years, the Flipper Zero has gained popularity among security enthusiasts and professionals for its versatility and ease of use, and I too love it. This portable multi-tool for pentesters and tech enthusiasts allows users to interact with various digital systems and devices, including access control systems. One of its most appealing and useful
First, lets start off by acknowleding the importance of this new device, utilising the new Intel Ultra and the addition of an NPU. It will delivery great performance for most uses, but especially developers, data scientists and creative workers who do photo and video editing/rendering. If you’re lucky enought to have a new Surface Pro
In IT, efficiency isn’t just a goal, it’s essential. This is where the Flipper Zero, a multi-tool device that’s been turning heads with its array of hacking features, particularly its Bad USB capability, comes into play. Despite the ominous name, this feature holds the potential to be a force for tremendous good, by streamlining tasks
If like me, you have a Smart TV that runs on the Android TV OS, and you’d like to login to the YouTube app for your kids managed accounts, but can’t, then this article should help you. I purchased a Philips Ambilight OLED 65OLED707 TV several months ago, and it’s a pretty decent TV, apart
I was recently got my hands on a Philips 499P9H super ultrawide monitor in work, and was really impressed with it. Despite it being an old monitor, and not the most advanced because of it’s age, it still performs well and made me want one at home. So I dusted off the credit card and
Home Assistant is an open-source home automation platform that allows you to control and automate various aspects of your home. It can integrate with a wide range of devices and services, such as lights, thermostats, security systems, and more. With Home Assistant, you can create automations and scenes, access your home from anywhere, and get
Are you looking for the ultimate home networking solution? Look no further than the Unifi Dream Machine SE (UDM SE) and wireless access points. This powerful combination of hardware and software provides a comprehensive, secure, and reliable network for your home or small business. With the Unifi Dream Machine SE, you can easily set up
If you have UniFi devices, but don’t have one that runs the network controller software, you can install it in a docker container on a Raspberry Pi. This process should be pretty similar, regardless of the device, so long as you have Docker installed, but this image is specifically designed for the Raspberry Pi. Prerequisites
If you have Sky Q, you might be surprised to hear that you can use your Sky Q box(es) as Wi-Fi repeaters, even if you don’t have Sky broadband. To set it up, follow the below steps: 1) Go to Settings > Setup > Network > Advanced settings 2) Select ‘Wi-Fi hotspots’, and then ‘Turn
Are you new to Sky Q, or finding some every day functionality slow and clunky? If so, then the below shortcuts, tips and tricks should prove useful. 1) Quickly access your recordings To access your recordings, simply click the ‘Sky’ logo at the top of your remote control. It’s not necessarily obvious that it’s a
If you followed my other guide on how to install Pi-hole in a docker container on a Raspberry Pi, then this guide will help you to upgrade it. If you didn’t setup Pi-hole using my guide, please take care, as your storage may not be external to the container, and you could lose it! How
Before we start, it’s important for you to note that this isn’t a supported setup for the Flashforge Creator Pro 2 to work with OctoPrint, it’s more of a work around. So it’s completely at your own risk. I’m presuming you already have OctoPrint setup, if not, take a look at the be below article:
Out of the box, OctoPrint / OctoPi works with ethernet, but to run it over wi-fi, you need to make a few simple changes. So let’s get started: Step 1 Connect your OctoPi Micro SD card to your computer. Step 2 Find the octopi-wpa-supplicant.txt file, and open it in Notepad++. DO NOT OPEN THIS IN
If you have a 3D printer without an IP connectivity (e.g. ethernet / wi-fi), but you’d like to gain some remote control and monitoring, then OctoPrint will help you. Essentially, you connect a Raspberry Pi to your 3D printer via a USB cable, and then that enables you to control your printer via a web
If you’ve just installed Pi-hole, this article will help you with changing some of the default settings and improving what gets blocked. It’s important that you do not change the DNS settings on your DHCP server / router straight away, and test with just one device first. Logging into Pi-hole To login to Pi-hole, you
If you’re reading this article, I’m presuming that you know what Pi-hole is, and have a Raspberry Pi setup with Docker installed. Pi-hole features and benefits I think the main reasons most people will install Pi-hole is to block ads, increase privacy, and for added security, but here’s a list of features an benefits, if
This process should be pretty similar, regardless of the device, so long as you have Docker installed, but this image is specifically designed for the Raspberry Pi. Prerequisites You will need Docker installed on your Raspberry Pi. Review the homebridge containter image information, make sure you have a compatable Raspberry Pi, and familiarise yourself with
Running software in a container, instead of directly on a computer/server has many benefits, as you likely know, since you’re reading this. But for me, one of the key things is the separation. I like to keep my systems issolated, to avoid issues which might ordinarily result in a full system re-install. Of course, there
If you’re here, you know you can use your Sky Q remote control with your voice, as well as the buttons. Of course, this only works with the remote controls with the microphone buttons (either on the right-hand side, or the front, near the record button). Here are some Sky Q voice commands to get
If you’re a Sky Q user, you’re probably already aware that you can use the voice commands with one of the two remote controls that came with your box. But, did you know that you can open apps with your voice? It may sound lazy, but in this day and age, with voice assistance such
If you have multiple Sky Q boxes, say a Sky Q Silver and two or three Sky Q Mini boxes, the similar airplay/bluetooth names can be confusing. The good news is, that you can change this, but only partly. The exception to this is if you pair a device via the Sky Q box, that
Like many of you, I’d always wanted to try the Amazon Echo, but I wasn’t going to shell out £149 for one. However, on Amazon Prime Day, I bagged one for £79. My intention being to sell it if I thought it was rubbish. Not to spoil the outcome of this review, but I still
If you have Sky Q, there’s a hidden engineers menu with some extra options including the ability to change the wi-fi bands and enabling connectivity over your home’s existing electricity wiring (known as powerline). Sky aren’t currently supporting powerline*, it’s a work in progress. It does appear to work, but if you decide to try
This article was written for the BT Home Hub V1 only and has not been tested on any other versions. Have you ever wondered what that USB port on your BT Home Hub was for? Well it turns out that you can use it to connect a printer to and therefore turning you BT Home
To download the latest software for your Sky / Sky+ /Sky+ HD box, please follow the below simple process: 1) Unplug your box from the power supply 2) Press and hold the backup (on the box, not the remote) button 3) Keep holding the backup button whilst you plug the power back in and until
Have you ever wondered what the USB ports are for you on your Sky+ or Sky HD box? Well I’m told it’s to allow for possible future expansion. I doubt they’ll ever be used, but who knows. Anyway, here’s what I use them for: Charging my mobile phone Charging my BlackBerry Charging my iPod Basically
As you may already know, there is an engineers menu that can be easily access on all Sky, Sky+ and Sky HD digiboxes. The most useful functions of this menu are being able to change the RF output frequency/channel, Adding a 9 to the telephone number if the system is connected to a PABX or
This article was written for the BT Home Hub V1 only and has not been tested on any other versions. Have you ever wondered what that USB port on your BT Home Hub was for? Well it turns out that you can use it to connect a printer to and therefore turning you BT Home