Dileep Kushwaha

The temperature has finally dropped below 30°C, and the pleasant weather is expected to continue for a week, thanks to the western disturbances. It’s a welcome relief from the scorching 44°C temperatures we’ve been experiencing.

Yesterday, a significant portion of my day was spent at a computer repair shop. Interestingly, despite the cluttered appearance of the store and the customers seeking temporary fixes rather than long-term solutions, the shop owner seems to be making a handsome income. It turns out that he earns from government contracts, even though the quality of the items he sells is mediocre.

I have finished writing the blog post on “Fuller stack engineers or PolyStack Engineers,” which can be found at “The Rise of PolyStack Engineer”.

Today, I learned an interesting fact: the word “juggernaut” originates from Lord Jagannath. The British colonizers were fascinated when they witnessed the Jagannath Yatra.

Unfortunately, I still haven’t been able to resume my morning walks. However, I have started taking evening walks at a reduced speed, and I’ve switched my shoes. After careful investigation, I realized that the pain in my ankle isn’t due to my age but rather because the hiking shoes I was using weren’t suitable for prolonged use. They had a larger arch, and I needed some extra support. Additionally, since I tend to walk fast, I need to ensure I provide my feet with adequate rest.

Photo by Liz Pullan Pattathy on Unsplash

• I desire to expand my collection with some classic fiction books. With inflation on the rise, the prices of books are expected to increase soon, prompting me to take action. However, I find myself spending a significant amount of time browsing online bookstores, adding books to my cart, and ultimately not making the purchase. This dilemma stems from my preference for reading hard copies instead of digital mediums, considering the extensive screen time demanded by my profession. While going digital offers numerous advantages, such as ease of carrying books and the ability to annotate and create notes, it would entail adding an additional gadget to my belongings, like a Kindle with its excellent battery life or a tablet that also facilitates internet browsing. While there are newer e-readers available in the US/EU markets, I am willing to wait a little longer to acquire a few physical books. I believe that hard copies hold a distinct value as they can be lent to others instead of merely lying dormant on a hard drive or cloud storage.

• Books by Ayn Rand and Ray Kurzweil need to be added to the inventory. Fascinated by the topics they cover and I think the times we live in, it becomes important to be aware of such themes.

• I believe I am relishing the opportunity to express myself on this blog. While I haven’t made a direct comparison, I expect that the output has improved compared to what was shared here a year ago.

• Germany’s entry into recession has become official, raising the question of whether this outcome could have been prevented. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has placed a burden on European nations, with the United States engaged in a war that affects the lives of Ukrainians. Furthermore, the enemy has been fragmented through a NATO treaty that pledged to refrain from expanding its borders. In light of broken promises and a lack of trustworthy political statements, I anticipate that this situation may result in either European Union countries distancing themselves from NATO or a potentially catastrophic incident.

• A new wave of covid has hit China. WHO warning of a more brutal pandemic and UK implementing Covid style lockdowns.

• Today, in 1998, India tested its nuclear mission at Pokhran. This has prevented other nations to impose a full-blown war on India.

• I still need to complete the blog post on “Fuller stack engineer”

Photo of Oldfashioned Weigela by Liz Pullan Pattathy on Unsplash

• The genus name, Weigela, is named after Christian Ehrenfried Weigel, a German botanist who lived in the 18th century.

I have a few ideas that keep popping into my head, but I never seem to get around to doing anything about them. I’m listing them here so that I can at least get them down on paper before they disappear into the fog of other problems.

• We need engineers who are proficient in both hardware and software. I call them “fuller stack engineers.”
• I need to practice soldering. I’d like to learn the best practices and get a good enough kit to do SMT soldering.
• I need to get an FPGA and practice designing simple circuits with RISC-V architecture. Some modern i3/i5/i7 laptops do not support more RAM by design. My laptop can easily support 16GB of RAM, but it only supports 8GB. This is a design decision that the laptop manufacturers made. To support more RAM, they would have had to add more connections to the processor, which would have made the design more complex and expensive. In 2014, the engineers decided that the laptop would only support 8GB of RAM. When I bought the laptop, I assumed that it would support any amount of RAM as long as it wasn’t a 32-bit machine. I added swap space with twice the amount of RAM on my SSD, and it’s great to see it being used. Theoretically, a machine can support 2^64 GB of RAM.

My 20+ Year Old CPU Upgrade

Last week, I decided to upgrade my trusty 20+ years old CPU by ordering a new one from Amazon for a modest sum of RS 600. The seller was kind enough to include a cheap thermal paste with the package, which was priced at RS 2500. Excitedly, I plugged in the new CPU, and after a couple of boot attempts, I experienced a noticeable performance boost. The new CPU boasted double the L1 cache, 6MB in total, and a clock speed of 3.3 GHz, a significant upgrade from the previous 2.0 GHz. However, despite the improved performance, the system still displayed details of the older CPU. Frustrated, I attempted to reset the BIOS by removing the CMOS battery, but unfortunately, this led to further complications. Windows refused to boot up, and subsequent attempts to install a fresh Windows OS ended up getting stuck at the logo screen. On the bright side, Linux was functioning flawlessly on the system. Determined to find a solution, I tried the jumper method to reset the BIOS, but alas, it didn’t resolve the issue. Installing different versions of Windows, from XP to 10, proved futile.

My Friend’s Smart Display

    Meanwhile, a friend of mine approached me with a unique challenge. He needed a smart display for his restaurant table but was on a tight budget. Without much time to spare, he sent me a 4K TV Android 10 device, hoping to run his restaurant app and games like Ludo on it, with mouse control. Setting aside my judgments, I dove straight into the task at hand. This endeavor stemmed from my previous demonstration of portable Linux sticks capable of running Windows XP, 7, and Android. Unfortunately, those devices were from nine years ago, and the specs needed an upgrade. To complicate matters further, the primary seller was based in China, and those devices were no longer available in India. The device my friend sent, while working fine as a TV display, posed its own challenges. With only 4GB of RAM, most of which was already being utilized out of the box, there was limited room for running new apps. Additionally, the custom ROM of Android 10 disabled the app pinning setting, necessitating the installation of a third-party kiosk application to restrict customer access. The device faced a bottleneck due to insufficient RAM, causing slowdowns when multiple apps were opened. I must emphasize that this device is not recommended for home use, as it comes with built-in apps that stream pirated shows, potentially acting as a bot for ad-clicking businesses in the background. Similar reports have emerged for some premium TV boxes on Amazon.

Upgrading My Laptop

    In the midst of my hardware adventures, I decided to revisit an old laptop that a technician had previously deemed unrepairable three years ago. Armed with YouTube tutorials and datasheets, I discovered a solution that involved removing and soldering the power connector. With nothing to lose, I gave it a try, and to my delight, the laptop sprung back to life. The laptop boasts an i5 2.5GHz processor with a 2+2 core setup, along with a 330M 1GB GPU. To further enhance its performance, I plan to add an SSD to the CD bay and replace the battery. Fortunately, the prices of SSDs have been dropping steadily, prompting me to order two—one for the PC and another for the laptop. The monitor, however, suffers from line and backlight issues, which I’ll address later. Additionally, the speakers are not functioning properly, leaving me contemplating whether I can install more powerful bass speakers from other brand laptops.

Despite the hardware challenges, it was an enjoyable weekend experimenting with different components. My friend plans to ship a new Android TV box for further testing, while I’m on the lookout for a budget-friendly DDR3 GPU for the PC. The goal is to have a setup capable of running Windows 10 and Minecraft for the kids at home, while the laptop will be reserved for my personal use.

My Love of Food

    Lastly, these days I seize every opportunity to attend weddings when invited. Regardless of the quality of the food, I make sure to fill myself up, particularly indulging in dosas and golgappas—a delightful culinary adventure that brings joy to my taste buds.

The weekend was a mix of hardware trials and gastronomic pleasures. From upgrading ancient CPUs to troubleshooting smart displays, the world of technology presented its challenges and rewards. Alongside these tech adventures, attending weddings became an opportunity to relish various delicacies, regardless of their culinary perfection. With each experience, I continue to learn, adapt, and appreciate the intricate dance between technology and life’s simple pleasures.

Images: Epic Diffusion 1.1

On another summer morning, I found myself waking up in a state of fear and uncertainty. The weight of not meeting the desired skills required for the CKA certification burdened my mind. However, amidst these worries, a friend reached out to me with a technical chore, seeking my assistance to save his RS 600 PM. It struck me that he was somewhat self-obsessed at the moment, more focused on finding the perfect tech stack than on taking care of his business. I couldn’t help but believe that people often fail to understand the consequences of their strong desires until they experience the outcomes firsthand. Nevertheless, I decided to help him and set out to complete his task. It was then that I received a package from him, adding an additional layer of complexity to the situation. I questioned my own motivations, wondering why I was taking on this responsibility. It felt like I was reaching the last shore, only for him to create more work and display a sense of urgency. As someone once said, if you do not prioritize your tasks, someone else will do it for you. I couldn’t help but contemplate the significance of this, especially since getting certified would only be delayed by a month. Would it really make a difference?

As I delved into the day, seeking solace and distraction from these thoughts, I decided to listen to some songs from 2010 and beyond. It had been a while since I immersed myself in music from that era, and it brought about a flood of nostalgia and awesomeness. The tunes of Foster The People, Of Monsters and Men, and Mumford and Sons filled my ears, transporting me back to different moments in time. It was a reminder of the power of music to evoke emotions and connect us to our past selves.

While I was engrossed in writing this blog post, I couldn’t help but notice the annoying presence of mosquitoes. Strangely enough, I observed that they didn’t bother me as much when I was deep in thought, concentrating on my ideas. This made me ponder Bill Gates’ project to genetically control and eradicate mosquitoes. I had heard that he had released thousands of genetically modified mosquitoes in the USA before the pandemic hit. The curiosity surrounding the progress of this project lingered in my mind.

In light of these reflections, I came to the realization that this μ-blog could serve as a platform for my daily logs, capturing the fleeting moments and random musings of each day. On the other hand, my main blog would remain a space for longer, more introspective posts. My current life is a tapestry woven with diverse experiences, ranging from the pursuit of certifications to helping others with their tasks, from rediscovering music that stirs nostalgic sentiments to contemplating mosquitoes and a man’s challenges to eliminate the harmful one’s