Barn Lab

Barn Lab explores a wide range of topics across technology, science, and practical tips, focusing on innovations, cybersecurity, programming, electronics, and AI advancements. It provides insights into historical tech advancements, current trends, practical how-tos, and explores tools and concepts relevant in various technical fields.

Technology Cybersecurity Programming Electronics Artificial Intelligence Historical Innovations Practical How-tos Scientific Concepts

The hottest Substack posts of Barn Lab

And their main takeaways

Gapminder

19 implied HN points • 16 Jun 23
🚌 Education Statistics Global Development Data Sources
  1. Gapminder is an independent Swedish foundation focused on fact-based global statistics.
  2. Their bubble chart software, Trendalyzer, was acquired by Google in 2007.
  3. Gapminder provides educators with free resources and offers a 'Worldview Upgrader' quiz to challenge misconceptions.

Coaxial Drones

19 implied HN points • 30 May 23
🕹 Technology Drones Aircraft Engineering Open Source Military
  1. Coaxial drones have improved flight efficiency and longer flight durations due to their balanced torque effect from counter-rotating rotors.
  2. Coaxial drones are simpler in design with fewer motors and Electronic Speed Controllers, resulting in reduced weight and complexity compared to quadrocopters.
  3. Coaxial drones offer larger payload capacities, less noise, and are easier to transport, but their flight mode complexity presents challenges in control design.

Textual Images and some ASCII tricks

0 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Digital Media
  1. ASCII and ANSI codes are used to control text aspects like color and fonts on terminals.
  2. ASCII characters are different from Unicode characters and are easily accessible via the keyboard.
  3. Text-based ASCII and ANSI art forms continue to influence digital mediums despite the dominance of high-resolution images and videos.
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MITRE ATT&CK

0 implied HN points • 18 May 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Threats Tools Networks Devices
  1. Disseminating cybersecurity knowledge is important but can also be risky.
  2. MITRE ATT&CK is a valuable resource for understanding cybersecurity threats and defenses.
  3. The MITRE ATT&CK matrix provides detailed information on adversary behaviors and techniques.

massgrave.dev

0 implied HN points • 31 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Software Activation Piracy Microsoft Tools
  1. You can download Windows for free from Microsoft and install it without a key, but a watermark may appear after some time.
  2. Legitimate options to remove the watermark include purchasing an activation key from Kinguin or transferring an old activation key from Windows 7 onwards.
  3. There are legal ways to activate Windows using HWID, KMS activation methods, or MAS Scripts available from massgrave.dev.

OneClick Stable Diffusion Installer that comes prepackaged with SD1.5 and SD2.0

0 implied HN points • 25 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI Software Installation Generative Art Neural Networks
  1. The OneClick Stable Diffusion Installer includes SD 1.5 and SD 2.0 models to simplify installation for users.
  2. The installer provides integrated model downloader to access famous models within the SD interface.
  3. For those interested in AI generative art, AUTOMATIC1111 is a feature-packed interface worth exploring after trying InvokeAI.

Style PowerShell 5

0 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Programming Operating Systems Software Tools
  1. PowerShell 7 is an updated version that runs alongside PowerShell 5, requiring configuration changes to make it default.
  2. Customize PowerShell by changing the font to add symbols and icons for a unique look.
  3. Create a startup script for PowerShell 5 by making a Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1 file to add personalized ASCII banners and prompts.

Functional label

0 implied HN points • 02 May 23
🪑 Design Packaging Research and Development
  1. Creating functional labels for perishable goods is challenging due to the complexity of indicating freshness accurately.
  2. Innovative designs using organic pigments like red cabbage could offer environmentally-friendly solutions for indicating freshness on packaging.
  3. Collaboration between packaging manufacturers, food producers, and designers is crucial to develop packaging that not only protects products but also shows their freshness.

Flexures and Compliant Mechanisms

0 implied HN points • 05 Mar 23
🔬 Science Compliance Robotics
  1. Flexures and compliant mechanisms are designed to provide flexibility and compliance in systems.
  2. Compliant mechanisms can transmit forces without introducing errors if kept under control.
  3. Flexures are used in various applications like robotics, MEMS, and optical systems for improved precision and durability.

Alternatives to Arduino IDE Serial plotter

0 implied HN points • 17 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Tools Programming Data Visualization UI Design Protocols
  1. Serial graphers are tools for data visualization and analysis using data from a serial port.
  2. Alternatives to Arduino IDE Serial plotter include Serial Port Plotter, Processing Grapher, and SerialTest, offering different features and capabilities.
  3. SerialTest stands out for its versatility, allowing sending and receiving data over various protocols, customizable UI, and dark theme.

Project Tempest

0 implied HN points • 11 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Security Software Hardware Data Privacy Electronics
  1. Project Tempest originated during the Cold War for protecting electronic equipment from eavesdropping and intercepting enemy electromagnetic emissions.
  2. The concept has evolved into current-day Air-Gap Attacks, where data is transported from secure locations without network use.
  3. Through tools like TempestSDR, capturing unintentionally emitted RF signals can allow eavesdropping on computer screens.

Electricity

0 implied HN points • 21 May 23
🔬 Science Electricity
  1. Generators produce electricity when a wire is present within a magnetic field, requiring movement or change for electrical output.
  2. Transformers modify AC by increasing or decreasing voltage and amperage without moving parts, crucial for transmitting energy efficiently.
  3. Capacitors store electrical charge and can act as filters, allowing the passage of AC while blocking DC, useful for various applications like frequency filtering.

DeOldify.NET

0 implied HN points • 07 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Neural Networks Image Processing
  1. Colorization of black-and-white images involves using color spaces like Lab to represent colors digitally
  2. Neural networks have been trained on colorized image datasets to aid in the colorization process
  3. DeOldify.NET offers a user-friendly way to colorize old images using AI without needing complex tools or specialized websites

NSA Open Sourcing Tools?

0 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Security Software Open Source Debugging
  1. NSA released Ghidra as an open-source reverse engineering tool, making it popular in college curriculums and cybersecurity operations.
  2. Ghidra is valued for its ability to analyze and secure software without running potentially malicious code directly on the host system.
  3. Tools like BinWalk for firmware extraction and platforms like Crackmes.One offer resources for legal software cracking and reverse engineering exploration.

Magnets

0 implied HN points • 12 May 23
🔬 Science Physics Materials Engineering Electricity
  1. Magnets have two poles: north and south, which attract or repel each other.
  2. Magnetism in materials comes from aligned electron spins creating a magnetic field.
  3. Electricity flowing through conductive materials generates a magnetic field, essential for building motors and generators.