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Securing your car with the Konami Code

Securing your car with the Konami Code

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Car thieves are nothing if not persistent. Locks can be picked or ripped out. Wireless key fobs have become vulnerable to a number of new attacks.

Univerisity of Michigan students came up with a new method. Instead of relying on wireless fobs and locks, they connect a security monitoring device between the battery and electrical system. It watch for users to make a series of voltage changes on the electrical system before the car can start.

What voltage changes? They might perform some combination of flicking the windshield wipers, turn signal or headlights on and off, or locking and unlocking the doors.

Battery Sleuth’s default mode allows the battery to deliver enough current to power systems like electronics and lights, but not enough to power the vehicle’s starter. Only when it detects the pre-set series of voltage fluctuations in the vehicle’s electrical system does it turn up the juice, allowing the battery’s full power through to the starter.

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Kangaroos 1, Volvo 0

Kangaroos 1, Volvo 0

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In 2015, David Pickett, Volvo Australia’s technical lead, was a part of the team that tried to develop the world’s first kangaroo detection and avoidance system.

Volvo’s team spent the next two years searching for a way to make Volvo’s cars detect and avoid/brake for kangaroos. After 2 years, they admitted defeat in 2017.

Volvo’s camera and radar system were no match for the marsupials. Wallabies proved to be equally challenging.

They had numerous unsolved issues. The kangaroo look entirely different in full flight than when resting. They’re very fast and jump in unpredictable ways, maneuvering mid-air to confuse and outrun predators.

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Dean’s Scene Home Brewery

Dean’s Scene Home Brewery

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I recently found out about an old-Portland speakeasy. Dean opened up his basement in NE Freemont for people to come hang out and drink. He made some beers, ‘gave’ them away for a $20 door donation, and never bothered to get a liquor license or card people. People would come hang out in his basement and have some beers.

He got shut down in 2014 by the OLCC and it appears he died just a few years later, but not before he had tons of people swing by. He didn’t bother to card and it was apparently quite the little hangout.

It appears it was purchased and re-opened in 2018 after being under uncertain ownership.

Read about more legitimate undeground bars here.

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The Giant Gundam in Yokohama says Goodbye

The Giant Gundam in Yokohama says Goodbye

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Bandai has decided to send it’s giant Gundam out in style. I got to see 2 different iterations of the Gundam one my trips to Japan – and the mini-shows were really great.

The 18 meter tall, life-sized replica of the classic RX-78-2 Gundam—the original main mobile suit of the 1979 anime—originally opened to the public at the Yokohama Gundam Base in Tokyo Bay in December 2020.

Bandai sent the Gundam out in style last night with one final exhibition, which featured luminaries from across the franchise’s history—including a few words from Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7cWoYef8CM

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Amazing Photos and events during the 2024 Eclipse

Amazing Photos and events during the 2024 Eclipse

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Amazing Photos from the 2024 eclipse

PetaPixel collected some amazing photos of the eclipse.

Purdue/Indy 500 eclipse watching party

Purdue co-sponsored an eclipse watching party at the Indianapolis 500 motor speedway. There were science events, NASA gave several presentations, an Indy car racer did some demo laps, and astronauts were on hand to sign autographs. There’s some good pictures on the recap website.

Shatner comes to Indiana

William Shatner went to Indiana University for an eclipse event. He was joined by performers from IU’s musical theatre and dance programs, as well as an appearance by retired NASA astronaut Mae Jemison and a concert by Janelle Monáe. He’ll be performing a spoken word piece as part of the celebration’s program, with his last words ending just as totality is beginning.

NASA chases the eclipse

NASA sent two of their NASA Martin/General Dynamics WB-57F planes N926NA and N927NA to chase the eclipse at 50,000ft. You could track them on adsbexchange.

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A sad metric to be at the top of

A sad metric to be at the top of

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Oregon used to be #1 in this category. Now it looks as if Vermont (75%), New Hampshire (66%) and Maine (66%) are now the top share of adults who say they never or seldom attend church or religious services.

Ironically, half of people believe that’s a bad thing but only 30% of Protestants, 28% of Muslims, 23% of Catholics, and 16% of Jews report they attend services weekly.

There’s a ton of data in the Pew research link. Worth taking a look.

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Become a Historic Summer Ranch Caretaker

Become a Historic Summer Ranch Caretaker

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On the heals of taking bids for concessionaires to run the French Glen hotel near the Steens Mountains in remote Southeast Oregon, a historic ranch in eastern Oregon is also in need of a summer caretaker. The Bureau of Land Management announced Monday that it’s in need of a short-term caretaker this August at Riddle Brothers Ranch.

The Riddle Brother Ranch was built in the early 1900s beside the Little Blitzen River. The Bureau of Land Management purchased the historic property in 1986, and since then the ranch has existed as a hard-to-reach tourist attraction. Access is only permitted from Wed-Sun June to Oct via 4WD high clearance vehicles or horses.

The caretaker’s cabin at the ranch has a bed, electricity, running water, a refrigerator with a freezer, and cooking stove with an oven. Another building a half-mile away has a hot shower and additional food storage.

Those looking for more information or who want to apply can call Tara Thissell at 541-573-4400

YouTube Ad blockers

YouTube Ad blockers

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Old School Gamer outlines a long list of ways to get around YouTube’s recent fight against ad blockers. If you’re frustrated with unskippable ads or getting stuck in a stream of multiple ads, or ads that pop up every 30 seconds in your videos, this article might be helpful.

Two of my favorites:

  1. Set your VPN to a country that doesn’t have ads ( great for mobile devices )
    • Albania, Moldova, or Myanmar
  2. Use a Adblock for Youtube: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/adblock-for-youtube/cmedhionkhpnakcndndgjdbohmhepckk

He outlines a great number of other methods as well – definitely worth checking out.

Portland had the largest loss of employment in the country over the last year

Portland had the largest loss of employment in the country over the last year

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The unemployment rate in the metro area stood at 4.2% in March 2024 – which isn’t that bad. The problem is that from a year ago, total employment fell 1.5% from the same time last year. Portland fared worse than all other US cities.

Local companies are tightening their belts. There have been big layoffs at Nike, Columbia sportswear, Wieden+Kennedy, Axios, and VACASA. The commercial vacancy rate in Portland is now the highest in the country – and is not predicted to recover for about a decade.

So how can you still have a decent unemployment rate while actual job hiring is shrinking? People are leaving the metro area. The last 3 years Portland metro has seen a net SHRINKING population – for a variety of very predictable reasons.

This isn’t something people can wave off as just a fluke. It’s been a 3 year trend, and it’s one that’s got demographers sounding alarm bells. Especially when many other parts of the country are seeing very nice population, employment, and civic growth.

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