“Sony Smartwatch now open-sourced“? “takes wearable tech into open-source territory“? It’s a shame this is almost entirely untrue.
Debian Installer for Zealz GK802 “Android TV” quad core ARM MiniPC
I’ve assembled a network installer image to install Debian 7.0 “Wheezy” on the GK802 “Android TV” Mini PC. This is intended for people who want to run the GK802 headless or semi-headless, for server or robotics applications.
Last update: 24 May, see details
Continue reading “Debian Installer for Zealz GK802 “Android TV” quad core ARM MiniPC”
Unlocking an encrypted rootfs over ssh with Debian wheezy
Problem: You have a computer running Debian 7.0 wheezy with an encrypted root filesystem. At startup you’d like to be able to unlock the disk over ssh, maybe because it runs headless.
Continue reading “Unlocking an encrypted rootfs over ssh with Debian wheezy”
LG USB Hub
I bought this LG branded USB 2.0 Hub for $10 from PCDIY.
Seems to be an LG promotional item that PCDIY decided to resell. (I don’t mind, it works properly in Linux unlike most cheap hubs.)
However, the form factor is kinda big and the LG logo is pretty bright.
Anatomy of a cheap USB to Ethernet adapter
Taking apart a very cheap USB to Ethernet adapter and pondering on the parts found inside.
Here are two USB to Ethernet adapters:
One of them is sold on ebay for $3.85 AU ($3.99 US), including postage to Australia. The other is sold at Apple Stores for $29.1
Continue reading “Anatomy of a cheap USB to Ethernet adapter”- Model MC704ZM / A1277 [↩]
Rep Rap Pro Huxley Extruder Upgrade
At Make, Hack, Void we’ve had a Rep Rap Pro Huxley 3d printer since the beginning of the year.
Unfortunately we’ve also struggled with a couple of long-standing problems. Continue reading “Rep Rap Pro Huxley Extruder Upgrade”
Flatdrier

Demo page with data from the last week in September
A few months ago, in the dead of Canberra winter, we discovered our flat had a mould problem. Insidious disgusting mould had crept in around our walls. Much scrubbing ensued.
Continue reading “Flatdrier”Huawei Sonic U8650 – 10 months on
This is a follow-up to the review I wrote last August of the Huawei Sonic U8650 $189AU Android smartphone.

Debian on Flexiview FV-1
This post is about running Debian GNU/Linux on the Mesada/Flexiview FV-1 “AndroidTV” unit. This post has been a bit delayed, I got very sidetracked with other things this month!
By following these steps, you should be able to use the FV-1 a bit like a normal desktop Linux computer. However, it’s still a long way from my dream goal of running XBMC for Linux.
Mesada Flexiview FV-1 “AndroidTV” Technical Review
I’m calling this a “technical review” because I’m not going to spend much time talking about using Android on this device. The reason for that will become apparent.
I recently purchased two “Android TV” boxes from aliexpress, for investigation and general hackery.
You can buy these from various online vendors (dealextreme, aliexpress, etc.) Also under other names – for instance it’s sold here in Australia as the Kogan Agora TV.
The “original” product is the Flexiview FV-1, made by Mesada Technology, Shenzhen.
Continue reading “Mesada Flexiview FV-1 “AndroidTV” Technical Review”









