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DIY or Do It Yourself is a category where you will find lots of stuff that helps you unleash your own creativity and an inner innovator and researcher. Try it!

Maximize Raspberry Pi Storage with RADI 10 NAS

How to Setup RAID 10 NAS on Raspberry Pi – Video Guide

by Ravi Singh December 18, 2023

written by Ravi Singh

Welcome to another exciting tutorial! Today, we’ll learn to set up a RAID 10 array on a Raspberry Pi 4 or, you can also use the Raspberry Pi 5. But before we dive into the details, let’s talk a bit about what RAID 10 is and why you should consider building one.

What is RAID 10?

RAID 10, also known as ‘1+0’ or ‘striped mirror,’ is a combination of two RAID levels –

RAID 1 (mirroring)
RAID 0 (striping).

This means you get the best of both worlds – the redundancy and reliability of RAID 1 and the speed of RAID 0. It is an excellent choice for data protection and performance. Whether you’re running a home server, media center, or just need a reliable backup solution, RAID 10 can be your answer.

Things You Will Need

To get started, here’s everything you need for this project.

A Raspberry Pi 4 or Raspberry Pi 5.
A USB 3.0 hub, uses a hub that you can power with an external power supply.
A microSD card (16GB or larger).
A card reader.
At least four solid-state drives or hard drives, ideally all the same size. You can choose different capacity drives but the RAID 10 will be twice the size of the smallest capacity drive. For instance, if you choose one 128GB and three 512 GB, the final storage you’ll get will be 256GB.
Four SATA III to USB 3.0 cables or enclosures.
A router and an Ethernet cable.
A 3D-printed casing (optional).
A Windows, macOS, or Ubuntu system.

Step 1: Install and Update Raspberry Pi OS

On your Windows, macOS, or Ubuntu system, connect the microSD card using a card reader. Also, download and use the Raspberry Pi Imager tool to install the Raspberry Pi operating system on your Raspberry Pi.

Make sure to enable SSH connection from the settings or just place an SSH file in the boot partition of the SD card after the flash.

Step 2: Connect to Raspberry Pi 4/5 via SSH

Connect to the Raspberry Pi via SSH. Use Putty on Windows and Terminal on Ubuntu and macOS. To know the IP address of the Raspberry Pi, use the Fing network scanner app or log in to your router admin panel and check the DHCP list.

On Putty, type the IP address of the Raspberry Pi and click Open. On the Terminal, type ssh IPaddress
Type the SSH username and password (you set up during OS flash) followed by Enter key press.
Once logged in, run the below commands:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y

Step 3: Install MDADM and Webmin

mdadm is a Linux utility you can use to manage and monitor software RAID devices. Us the below command to Install it.

sudo apt install mdadm

Next, install the Webmin server using the below commands:

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

Paste the following at the end:

deb http://download.webmin.com/download/repository sarge contrib deb http://webmin.mirror.somersettechsolutions.co.uk/repository sarge contrib

Press Ctrl + X, type Y, and hit the Enter key to save the changes.

Then run the below commands to finish the installation.

wget -qO - http://www.webmin.com/jcameron-key.asc | sudo apt-key add -
sudo apt update && sudo apt install webmin -y

Once Webmin is installed, access webmin via web browser at https://ip-address-of-pi:10000.

Step 4: Partition SSDs or HDDs for RAID 10

Log in to the Webmin interface using the SSH username and password. Then connect all four SSDs or hard drives to the Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 using a powered USB hub. and follow these steps:

Go to the Hardware > Partitions on Local Disks option in the Webmin interface
The first drive will be the SD card, which you should recognize from its storage size. You’ll need to create partitions on the other four connected drives.
Click on the externally connected SSD or HDD drive (one at a time) and then click Wipe Partitions.
Choose MS-DOS from the options and click Wipe and Re-Label.
Then go back and click Add primary partition.
Choose the Linux EXT from the drop-down and click Create.
Repeat steps 3–6 to wipe all drive partitions and create a Linux RAID partition on all four drives.

Step 5: Create RAID 10 on Raspberry Pi

Once all the drives are formatted and partitioned, follow these steps to create a RAID 10 array.

Go to Hardware > Linux RAID.
From the drop-down, choose RAID 10 (Striped and Mirrored).
Click the Create RAID device of a level button.
Then choose the drive partitions we created from the ‘Partitions in RAID’ list.
Press and hold the CTRL key and then click on the four listed Linux RAID partitions to select them.
Keep everything else as default and click Create.

This will create a RAID 10 array, listed under the Hardware > Linux RAID section as /dev/md0.

Step 6: Format and Mount RAID 10 Partition

First, format the RAID10 array and create EXT4 file system.

sudo mkfs.ext4 -v -m .1 -b 4096 -E stride=32,stripe-width=64 /dev/md0

Create a directory

sudo mkdir /media/SambaNAS

sudo mount /dev/md0 /media/SambaNAS

Change the ownership of the directory.

sudo chown ravi:ravi /media/SambaNAS

At this stage, you can check the RAID10 array storage and status in the Webmin GUI..

Step 7: Add Drives to FSTAB

Find the UUID of the RAID10 partition.

sudo blkid

Note down the UUID of the RAID 10 partition. Then run the following command to open the FSTAB and then paste the below line of code at the end.

sudo nano /etc/fstab

UUID=(my_uuid) /media/SambaNAS ext4 defaults,noatime 0 0

Replace the UUID with the UUID of your RAID 10 partition and press CTRL + X, type Y, and then hit the Enter key to save the changes. To see if changes are saved, type

To access the RAID 10 storage location on the network (NAS), you can install and configure the Samba server on Raspberry Pi via Webmin or SSH.

Video Guide to Setup RAID 10 on Raspberry Pi

Final Words

And there you have it, your very own RAID 10 array is up and running on your Raspberry Pi! Congratulations! I hope you found this tutorial both informative and empowering. RAID 10 is an excellent choice for data protection and performance, and now you have the skills to set it up on your own.

Remember, data storage and redundancy are crucial, whether you’re managing a home server, storing precious memories, or safeguarding critical work files.

If you encounter any issues or have questions during your RAID 10 journey, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below. We’re here to help.

Regularly back up your data. RAID 10 is fantastic, but it’s not a substitute for backups. Keep those important files safe!

December 18, 2023 0 comment

Install supervised home assistant on proxmox

DIY How To Linux

How to Install Supervised Home Assistant OS in Proxmox

by Ravi Singh December 2, 2023

written by Ravi Singh

Proxmox is an open-source virtualization platform that enables users to create and manage virtual machines and containers via an intuitive web interface. By installing Home Assistant on Proxmox, you can achieve a seamless and efficient home automation system on any x86 machine without compromising on any features.

Why Install Home Assistant on Proxmox?

Home Assistant is an open-source home automation platform that focuses on local home automation, control, and data privacy. It allows users to control and automate various smart devices in their homes, such as lights, switches, thermostats, cameras, etc.

With Proxmox, you can run Home Assistant with multiple other services on the same hardware in different isolated environments or virtual machines.

For instance, you can set up a RAID NAS on a different virtual machine in Proxmox and use the redundant storage to store backups, surveillance footage, and other important data safely.

It will also help:

Save space
Reduce power consumption
Streamline the management and maintenance of Home Assistant and other services
Ensure high availability
Quick Migration
Make it easier to monitor and maintain the Home Assistant installation

Step 1: Install and Set Up the Proxmox Environment

Set up and install the Proxmox on your x86 PC or Intel NUC. You can either purchase a new machine, such as a mini-PC or re-purpose an old laptop or PC for this project.

We are using a new Intel NUC10 for the Proxmox installation. Make sure to enable virtualization from the BIOS before you begin the Proxmox installation on your x86 hardware.

Once set up, you can access the Proxmox web interface using a web browser at https://IPAddress:8006.

For instance, https://192.168.0.170:8006/

You can find the IP address of the device by typing ifconfig in the command or via DHCP settings on your router. Additionally, you can use a network scanner app, such as Fing.

login to proxmox server using root username and password to setup home assistant

You may see an SSL warning. Click Advanced > Proceed to 192.168.xx.xx.

Once the web interface loads, use root as the username and password you set up during Proxmox installation.

Step 2: Create a Virtual Machine for Home Assistant in Proxmox

Once the Proxmox environment is ready, you can follow the below steps to create a virtual machine for Home Assistant installation.

Login to the Proxmox web interface and then click on Datacenter > Your Proxmox Instance name and then click Shell.
In the Shell window, type the following commands to download the Home Assistant image. wget https://github.com/home-assistant/operating-system/releases/download/11.1/haos_ova-11.1.qcow2.xz

download the home assistant image on the proxmox shell

Then extract the Home Assistant image file using the following command. unxz haos_ova-11.1.qcow2.xz
Once the Home Assistant OS image is extracted, click the Create VM button at the top-right corner.
Then type the name of the virtual machine in the Name: field under the General tab, such as Home-Assistant, and click Next.
In the OS, choose Do not use any media and click Next.
In the System tab, choose q35 in Machine: and select OVMF (UEFI) in the BIOS. In the EFI Storage, choose the local-lvm storage and click Next.
Under Disks, enter the disk size (default is 32GB) and click Next.
Choose the Sockets and Cores under the CPU tab and click Next.
Under the Memory tab, choose the desired memory (minimum 4GB) and click Next.
Under the Network tab, keep it default and click Next.

check the configuration and create a home assistant vm

Finally, check the VM hardware settings and click Finish. This will create a new VM named Home-Assistant and listed under Datacenter in the left pane.
Once created, click on the Home-Assistant VM in the left pane and click Hardware.
Select the Hard Disk and choose Detach.

detach the default disk from home assistant vm on proxmox

Step 3: Installing Home Assistant on Proxmox VM

Once the Home Assistant VM is created successfully, we need to import and attach the disk image to the Home-Assistant VM using the following command in the Proxmox shell.

qm importdisk 104 /root/haos_ova-11.1.qcow2 local-lvm

Make sure to replace the vm ID (104 in our case) in the command.

Once the disk is imported, we need to add it to the Home-Assistant VM. To do this, click on Hardware and then double-click on the Unused disk at the bottom. Click Add.

attach the kvm image to home assistant vm on proxmox

Now you can right-click on the Home-Assistant VM and click the Start button to boot the VM and begin the Home Assistant installation.

Click on Console to view the boot progress. Once the Home-Assistant VM boots completely, you will see an IP address

home assistant setup and installed on proxmox ve

Visit the IP address on the web browser with port 8123. For instance, http://192.168.xx.xx:8123 or http://homeassistant.local:8123

login to home assistant and setup on proxmox ve

If you have a Home Assistant backup, click RESTORE FROM BACKUP and then click UPLOAD BACKUP button to select and upload the Home Assistant backup file.

This will restore your Home Assistant server on Proxmox. If you never used Home Assistant, you can click CREATE MY SMART HOME and continue with the setup wizard.

Step 4: Finishing The Home Assistant Installation on Proxmox

Once the Home Assistant server is up and running on the Proxmox, you can enable auto boot for Home Assistant. This will boot Home Assistant automatically after a power failure or when the Proxmox or machine restarts. To enable this, follow these steps:

Click on the Home Assistant VM in the left pane and then click on the Options option.
Double-click on Start at boot and then select the Start at the boot checkbox.

enable start at boot in home assistnat proxmox

Click OK.

If you want to connect an external USB device to Home Assistant on Proxmox, such as a Zigbee dongle or Coral TPU for Frigate NVR, you must add the USB port to the Home Assistant VM. The steps are as follows:

Click on Hardware and then click Add > USB Device.
Then click the Use USB Vendor/Device ID: and choose the connected USB device.

add external usb devices to home assistant on proxmox

Click Add. If there are more USB devices, repeat Step 1 and Step 2 to add those to the Home Assistant VM.

Once added, you can access and use the USB devices with the Home Assistant server to control smart devices or store data, etc.

Cut The Clutter with Home Assistant on Proxmox

Installing Home Assistant on Proxmox allows users to install and set up multiple services and servers in an isolated environment, which can enable them to utilize the full potential of their machine. This is beneficial for those who are just getting started but already running a home server. They can quickly install Proxmox on their machine, move their servers to Proxmox, and set up Home Assistant without having to invest in new hardware.

December 2, 2023 0 comment

seeker the smartphone and phone number location tracing tool

Android DIY How To Linux Security Web & Social Media

Find Current Location of Phone Number on Google Map Free

by Ravi Singh March 8, 2020

written by Ravi Singh

https://youtu.be/qkPuH4V8CM0

In this guide, I will share how you can use your Android phone as a Kali Linux machine to find a cell phone location on Google Maps. You can also navigate to the current location of the phone. And all this can be done secretly, without letting the user know that you actually found their GPS location.

This guide is on the demand of my dear audience and in response to my previous tutorial on location tracking. Thanks for such an overwhelming response. If you haven’t read or watched the video guide, you are missing something. Watch it now!

DISCLAIMER: This video is for educational purposes only. It’s a proof of concept that granting location access to websites and apps can be dangerous for your privacy. Any misuse of the guide can cause serious trouble in your country. Do not use this to malign someone or spy on someone. You are responsible for your actions.
Never allow access to your location or respond to prompts if appears while accessing websites, especially untrusted sites such as porn sites and blogs that share pirated content.

Steps to Find Phone Location Using Android

So what you need is a PC with Kali Linux installed. You can install it on an old laptop or on a virtual machine such as Virtualbox or VMware. You may also install Kali Linux on an Android phone. There’s a video guide also that helps you set up Kali Linux on top of Android OS without root. It’s very easy!

Step 1: Clone the ‘Seeker’ Github Repository

Seeker, developed by thewhiteh4t, helps accurately locate smartphones location using social engineering.

seeker OSINT Geolocation tracking and finding Social Engineering tool

Seeker hosts a clone or fake web page on ‘built-in PHP server’ and uses ‘Serveo’ by default to generate a URL. You can send this URL to the target phone number with a socially engineered message. When the user opens the web page URL, the website asks for ‘Location Permission’. If the target phone or user allows the permission, you get the following location details about the phone number and device:

Longitude
Latitude
Accuracy
Altitude (not always)
Direction (if the user is moving)
Speed (if the user is moving)

Besides location information about the cell phone, you also get sensitive ‘Device Information’ without any permissions. This means even if the user doesn’t grant permission for location access, merely visiting the URL will provide you with following details about the target mobile phone number:

Operating System
Platform
Number of CPU Cores
Amount of RAM – Approximate Results
Screen Resolution
GPU information
Browser Name and Version
Public IP Address
IP Address Reconnaissance

That is why you should never click on any random links or allow critical permissions such as Location or storage etc.

Once you have Kali Linux installed, open the ‘Terminal‘ window.

On Android Kali Linux, open the UserLAnd app and tap on Kali. Then choose ‘UserLAnd‘ and enter the password you entered at the time of setting up Kali Linux on your Android device.

git clone https://github.com/thewhiteh4t/seeker.git
cd seeker
chmod 777 install.sh
./install.sh

On your virtual machine or Kali Laptop or PC, enter following commands in the ‘Terminal’ window

cd Desktop
git clone https://github.com/thewhiteh4t/seeker.git
cd seeker
chmod 777 install.sh
./install.sh

Install Seeker on Kali Linux Virtual Machine or PC

Then type the following command to download and extract ngrok, a secure introspectable tunnel to localhost, on your Android phone.

sudo apt install wget 
wget https://bin.equinox.io/c/4VmDzA7iaHb/ngrok-stable-linux-arm.zip
unzip ngrok-stable-linux-arm.zip

If you are using a virtual machine or installed Kali Linux on a PC or Laptop, download ngrok setup and extract the ngrok files on the Kali Linux Desktop.

Extract ngrok on desktop in Kali Linux PC or VM

Step 2: Start Seeker to Find the Location of Phone Number on Map

Since the default tunnel, ‘Serveo‘ is down currently, so you must run the Seeker in manual mode. Enter the following command in the ‘Terminal’ window

python3 seeker.py -t manual

Enter value 2 to choose Google Drive option and press ‘Énter’

Step 3: Install ConnectBot

NOTE: Skip this step if you are using Kali Linux Virtual Machine or on a Laptop or PC

Go to Play Store and install ConnectBot app
Open the ConnectBot app and then open the Userland app in your Android
Tap on ‘Kali’and choose ‘ConnectBot’ this time
Tap ‘Yes’ and then enter the password

Enter the following commands on Virtual Machine Kali Linux. Skip cd Desktop command in case of Android Kali Linux and enter ./ngrok http 8080.

cd Desktop
./ngrok http 8080

open ngrok tunnel to localhost on Kali Linux Terminal PC

open ngrok tunnel to localhost on ANdroid Kali Linux

Step 4: Send URL to Target Phone Number

Copy the ngrok URL and shorten it using any URL shortener service

Copy ngrok URL to host local fake website via ANdroid phone

Copy ngrok URL to host local fake website on Kali PC or Virtualbox

Now share this shortened URL to the phone number that you wish to find location. You may also send it via Whatsapp or any messenger app
Send URL with some good message to increase the chances of opening the URL

Send the URL to the target phone number to find phone number location

Once opened, the user will see the following screen

If the phone user clicks the ‘Request Access’ button and grant permission, you will see the following details in the ‘Terminal‘ window

phone number located using Android smartphone

phone number located using Kali Linux virtual machine

Copy details if you want or simply copy the Google map URL and open in the Chrome browser to navigate to the phone number location.

It’s that easy. Completely foolproof and the success rate depends on how you share the URL and how well you write to make the user click and open the URL on their phone. Learn about social engineering and know-how to write well.

If this worked for you, like this video and if it didn’t let me know where you stuck. I would love to help.

Please subscribe for more such guides and tutorials on Kali Linux and Android. I love Linux, IoT and Big Data. So if you want to learn something related to these, share some ideas, and I will definitely try to create useful videos around it!

March 8, 2020 0 comment

DIY How To Internet Web & Social Media Wordpress

Build a WordPress Website for Free – HTTPS Site from Scratch 100% FREE

by Ravi Singh January 9, 2020

written by Ravi Singh

I started blogging back in 2013. It was all new for me back then. The first-ever Content Management System (CMS) I used was Joomla. However, I was later introduced to and influenced by the WordPress CMS. I quickly shifted towards it as it’s way easier and convenient platform for blogging. Plus, there are thousands of themes and plugins readily available that you can use to improve your site appearance and add more features.

Not to mention a huge WordPress community out there to support you. And Wordpress is regularly updated.

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Source: Kinsta

You can use WordPress CMS to build all kinds of websites such as a blog, forum, or a social media website like Twitter, Facebook, or Reddit. You can also launch an eCommerce website to sell your products worldwide or build a community to share thoughts and ideas. Whatever may be the case, in this guide, I will take you through the easiest way to build a WordPress powered website for free and that too under 10-minutes.

This site is based on the Bimber Wordpress theme from BringThePixel available on Themeforest.

Things You Need to Create a Free Wordpress Site

A working PC with an active internet connection
An Account with Digital Ocean: Use this link to sign up at Digital Ocean and get $100 free credits for 60 days that you can use to host a server on superfast SSD enabled virtual cloud servers for 2-months absolutely free.

NOTE: You need to add your credit card at DigitalOcean to get $100 free. CARD WILL NOT BE CHARGED. You can remove your card anytime before the end of 60 days if you don’t want to continue hosting

A free domain name. Get it here. Just sign up, search for the domain and buy it FREE
You may also buy a premium .com or .org domain from Godaddy or similar site

Steps to Build A Wordpress Site From Scratch for Free

Step 1: Get Free or Premium Domain

Go to Freenom.com and search for a free domain name.

Get it Now checkout domain

Click ‘Get it now’ to select the domain and click ‘Checkout’
Under the ‘Period’ section, choose duration which is free for up to 12 months
Click ‘Use DNS’ and then click ‘Enter your own DNS’ tab

Enter nameservers and other details

Enter ns1.digitalocean.com and ns2.digitalocean.com in nameserver fields. Keep IP fields empty
Click ‘Continue‘
Click the checkbox to agree and ‘Complete Order’

Step 2: Create a Web Server

After signing up at DigitalOcean, sign in to your Digitalocean account and click ‘Create‘
Click ‘Marketplace’ and choose ‘Wordpress’
Select $10 Server and enter a name for the server
Click ‘Create’

Meanwhile, install and open Putty on Windows or open Terminal in Mac
Then check your email for server IP and password
In the Putty app, enter the server IP and click Open. Type root and press Enter

In Mac Terminal, type ssh root@YourServerIP
Now copy the root password you received on your email and right-click on the Putty Terminal or Mac Terminal to paste it. Make sure you click only once

Press ‘Enter’ key
Right-click once again to paste the current password
Then type a new password.

NOTE: Typed password won’t be visible in the Terminal but it’s been typed hidden. Keep the password strong

Press Enter and then retype the new password one more time followed by Enter keypress
Enter the domain name you registered for free or bought via Godaddy and press ‘Enter’
Enter valid email ID and press ‘Enter’

Type Username for WordPress login and then enter the password

Remember this WordPress username and password. Otherwise, you won’t be able to access WordPress backend.

Give a name to your blog and press ‘Enter‘
Type ‘y’ and press Enter to configure and add SSL (https) certificate for your domain for free
Enter your email ID once again to receive notification for SSL certificate renewal
Press ‘a’ and hit ‘Enter’
Type ‘yes’ and hit ‘Enter’
Choose a name: with www or without www. Enter the choice number and press ‘Enter’

After it’s done,

Step 3: Map Domain to Server IP at DigitalOcean

Open your DigitalOcean account and click ‘Networking‘
Enter your domain name in the field and click ‘Add Domain‘

Enter @ in the first field and choose your server from the second field

Step 4: Check Configuration

Type your domain name in the web browser and press ‘Enter’.

NOTE: DNS (Domain Name Server) propagation may take up to 24 hrs. after changing the name servers. If the site doesn’t open, try after a few hours

Step 5: Start Blogging on Your New WordPress Site

If your site web page loads, you are ready to post new blogs or turn it into a marketplace by installing themes and plugins

To access the backend, go to YOURSITE.COM/wp-admin
Enter your email and the password you entered during server setup and click ‘Login’

Click Post>Add New to start sharing your stories, brand to the world.

Create social media fan pages and share your blog to get readers’ attention. If you want to build an eCommerce website, read about Woo Commerce.

Conclusion

Now that you have learned how to build a WordPress Website for free and that too just under 10 minutes, it time for you to start writing. Choose a niche and work on it. Get backlinks from authority sites by writing guest posts and make your site visible to gain rank and traffic.

Follow the best practices coz you may rank well quickly by doing a grey hat and black hat SEO techniques. However, survival is something isn’t guaranteed for such sites. If you want to seriously blog, then follow the best SEO practices and techniques. If you are not able to think what to write, use tools like Keyword Everywhere, Keyword Shitter (it literally shits keywords), search for keywords in your niche and create blogs.

If you find this guide helpful, consider sharing it. Also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, YouTube, or wherever the hell you are on social media, we are freakin everywhere. Follow us to get instant updates on such guides.

Good luck!

January 9, 2020 0 comment

Buyer's Guide DIY How To

How to Install 70MAI Pro Dashcam in Baleno or Glanza

by Ravi Singh December 22, 2019

written by Ravi Singh

In this guide, I will show you how to install a dashcam in Suzuki Baleno, Toyota Glanza, or any other car. However, in this particular video, I will install a 70mai Pro 2K dashcam in my Suzuki Baleno car.

About 70Mai Pro 2K Dashcam

It’s been more than 6 months since I bought and installed this dashcam in my Baleno Zeta 2019 car. I bought it from Aliexpress for just $54 USD without a GPS module. I did not order GPS because I don’t think that’s going to make any major difference or help.

One thing I would like to say about the dashcam is that it works great. Anyways, If you want me to create a video on 70 Mai in Indian weather conditions especially Delhi NCR, let me know. I will upload it asap.

Car Dashcam Installation Steps

So to begin with, start by cleaning the windshield area where you wish to install the Dashcam. I installed it on the Passenger side, don’t know why, but I would suggest you install it on the drive side. That way you will be able to see the display when you want. Currently, I can’t do that from the driver’s seat.

Anyways, after cleaning the area, you have to paste this anti-static film on the windshield. This will ensure firm stickiness and your dashcam will never fall due to heat or extreme cold.

Once the film is pasted, take out the tape cover and paste the camera attachment. Now, begin wiring from the bottom, around the dashboard area. There’s plenty of room behind the Glovebox in a car, just use your hand and try to find some space where you can get in the USB cable. In Baleno, Glanza, and other Suzuki and Hyundai cars, it’s around this part.

Once you have the wire from inside the glove box, move it towards the passenger door. Open the passenger door and take out this rubber seal. This won’t damage anything. And now, try to find some hole or cutout from where you can grab the wire, in Baleno and Maruti cars, it’s here.

Take it out, and then use your both hands to press and get in the wire behind the dashboard completely.

Once, done, it’s clean. Now, remove the pillar cover, it’s easy but be gentle. Use a prying tool if necessary, I didn’t use it, just used my hands. When it comes out, put in the wire and close it.

Now, put the around rear-view mirror and connect to the camera, put the wire into the upper roof, use a prying tool or hands, both work. There’s a minor gap.

Now, pull the extra wire and fold it. Use some wire or tape or zip tie the extra wire behind the glove box, make sure you do it properly and the knot should lie in an empty area.

And that’s it. That’s how you install a dashcam in a car, particularly in Suzuki Baleno or Toyota Glanza.

Hope you liked it, if so, please subscribe for more. I have 10s of videos to share on Baleno and Glanza coz essentially both are the same; it’s just badging and customer service.

I have many cool accessories to share that I installed in my car and you would definitely want to know. Hit subscribe and stay tuned for more upcoming videos.

December 22, 2019 0 comment

DIY-electronic-projects-home-media-server

DIY How To

5 DIY Electronic Projects to Keep You Busy this Winter

by Ravi Singh December 22, 2019

written by Ravi Singh

The Winter season is the perfect time to start tackling some DIY projects. Many of us are stuck inside a lot of the time, and outdoor activities become less of an option. If you’re someone who likes to build new things, especially when it comes to gadgets and other electronics, then you might be looking for some projects to work on this Winter. Below are 5 great ideas you can try that will hopefully keep you busy until the warmer weather comes back.

Solar Emergency Charger (and Radio!)

Have you ever been stuck out somewhere and noticed that your phone was dying? Maybe you even brought a portable charger along with you but found out that this battery died as well. With a solar emergency charger, you don’t have to worry about this. A solar cell phone charger can be made with just a few basic parts like a small solar panel and a tin container. If you want, you can even turn this little device into an emergency radio. You can find instructions for building an emergency solar charger here and instructions for a solar radio here.

LED Scoreboard

For the sports fans out there, wouldn’t it be great if you could have a scrolling scoreboard that displays the current scores from your favorite league? With a small Raspberry Pi device, a few LED boards, and some other minor parts you can build one yourself. It’ll take a little bit of knowledge of wiring and coding, but with some time you can probably learn to build it yourself. Here are some directions to get you started.

Home Media Server

Many of us now subscribe to services like Netflix, Hulu, and now Disney+. These services are great for streaming movies and televisions quickly to our televisions without having to use things like DVDs. But sometimes you want to play your own videos on one screen while they are stored on another device. Rather than transferring over those large video files, which can take hours, you can instead build your own home media server. You can do this on any operating system, and once you have it done it’ll be easier than ever before to play movies and music all around your home. Here are some instructions you can use to get started.

Holiday Light Display

If you want a DIY project that’s perfect for the Winter season, consider improving your home’s outdoor light display. Sure, you could go the basic route and hang up some lights along your roof. Or you can take things to another level and connect all your lights to a timing mechanism that syncs your light display with some chosen music. With a little patience and trial and error, you can create a great outdoor display like one of these. Keep in mind that you if connect a large number of lights to your home, you need a circuit breaker than can handle the extra load, and you may have higher electric bills than you would like at the end of the month.

Build a Personal Cloud Server

Finally, you can spend your time building a personal cloud server. Rather than spending money on services like Dropbox you can build your own server to store all the files you’d like to access while on the go. Building your own cloud server isn’t too difficult, and once you’re done you’ll be able to access your files from any device wherever you go, which is a major convenience. Here is a guide on building your own cloud server.

How to Get Started

To get started with a DIY electronics project you’ll need to do a few things. First, you need to decide on what project you want to do. You should think about the time investment necessary, along with any costs you may need to put out. Once you decide on what you want to build, make sure you have a good guide or set of instructions to following along with. Finally, you’ll likely need some parts. Visit an electronic part finder website to get all the parts you need for your project, then start placing your order.

Make the Most of Your Winter

While you’re stuck inside this winter, you might as well make the most of your time. There are a number of electronic projects you can tackle, after which you’ll have a great new gadget or piece of technology to play around with. Hopefully, this guide gave you some good ideas to consider and before long you’ll be huddled over your workbench creating something new.

December 22, 2019 0 comment

Create Your own Cloud storage like Drop box and Google Drive for free

DIY How To Security

How to Build Your Own Personal Cloud Server like Drop Box – 2 Methods

by Ravi Singh February 4, 2019

written by Ravi Singh

While working on a guide about creating your own VPN server using OpenVPN for added privacy, I came across Next Cloud and ownCloud— open-source cloud storage platforms that can be used to build your own personal cloud storage that works similar to Dropbox. Most importantly, it’s completely free. You don’t need to spare a single penny to build your personal cloud storage server and you can share your cloud with your friends and family by creating a separate account for each one.

Why Build Own Cloud Storage?

The cloud server you will be building will have similar features like Dropbox. The ownCloud and NextCloud apps are available for all platforms, i.e. Android, iPhone Mac, Windows, and Linux. You can access and manage your personal cloud storage just like Dropbox through any device. The apps automatically sync your data to your own private cloud service. Additionally, you use apps on your device to edit files stored on the owncloud server.

Plus, you can browse your pictures, watch videos, listen to music directly on the owncloud or NextCloud, whichever open-source platform you want to choose. We will demonstrate both with the help of video guide posted at the end of this guide.

What about Security?

Rest assured, the apps are safe and your data is safe with ownCloud and Nextcloud. For instance, the ownCloud server uses a 4096-bit strong public/private key-pair for every user. That is almost impossible to crack and future proof.

We know that sounds awesome! So let us begin creating our own personal Dropbox-like storage.

Building Dropbox-like Personal Cloud Storage Service

We will showcase two different methods as you know; one with ownCloud and another with Next Cloud. You can try both, will take 5-10 minutes max and then decide which one is more suitable according to your preference and choice.

Before you Begin

Click Here and sign up using your Email account. Use the link to get $50 credits instantly that you can use in the next 12 months.
Next, to use the free $50 credits, verify your account by clicking verification link you receive on the email
Then go to the Billing section to add a credit card. Rest assured, no money will be deducted from your card. Just click ‘Don’t want to add money checkbox’ and you are good to go.

Method 1. Personal Cloud Using OwnCloud Platform

OwnCloud Cloud Storage Interface

Sign in to your Vultr account
Go to Server and click + icon at top right
On the next page, Select the location (choose any)
Click Apps and then select ownCloud from the available options
Choose $5 server and then scroll to the end
Enter the name of your OwnCloud Private Cloud Storage server. For e.g. DIY DropBox
Click Deploy button and wait for a minute or two. Let Vultr configure your personal cloud service
After installation is finished, you will be provided with login credentials that you can use to log in to your ownCloud cloud storage having 25GB of dedicated space on SSD

How to build DIY Cloud STorage like Dropbox

Steps to deploy your own cloud storage for free

Install Owncloud app on your respective system from where you want to access it. Download using the following links:

After downloading, simply login using provided credentials and enjoy personal space on your own cloud. You can share the space and increase the space as well from the settings. Click here for a complete guide on setting up the ownCloud.

Method 2. DropBox like Cloud Storage Using Next Cloud Platform

NextCloud Cloud Storage Interface

The process is similar to OwnCloud, after selecting the location of the cloud server, select Next Cloud under the Apps tab.

Choose $5 server and then scroll to the bottom
Enter the Name of this Cloud and then click Deploy
Wait for a minute and you will be provided with login credentials
Download the Next cloud client app using the following Link:
After installation, open the Next cloud app and log in with the provided credentials. Now you will be able to access, upload your data remotely from any place. Best part, it’s your own personal space on the internet build by you.

To know more and configure your NextCloud for your friends and family, click here.

So go ahead, show off your skills and let people know that you own your own space on the web and not dependent on any cloud storage service provider.

For more such guides related to cloud servers and other technologies, subscribe to our blog and follow us on Facebook, Twitter for instant updates on the new post. Do follow us on YouTube to get the latest video guides notifications

February 4, 2019 0 comment

DIY How To

Turn Your Smartphone into Portable Black Light – DIY Guide

by Ravi Singh September 28, 2015

written by Ravi Singh

Hey Guys, Welcome to the New How to Guide from Techposts and today in this How-to guide we are going to show you how to turn your smartphone into a portable Black light. A black light is a dark purple looking light which emits the ultraviolet (UV) range of the spectrum, which is also, invisible to the human eye. Under a UV light, white clothes and fluorescent colors glow in the dark and emit a bright glow.

Creating Portable DIY Black Light with Smartphone:

Things we need before start:

Transparent tape (3/4 inches width is enough)
A blue marker
A purple marker
A highlighter (Any fluorescent colored)
A white piece of paper
And of-course, a smartphone with flash

Things we need to make portable Black light with Smartphone

A highlighter and a White paper sheet

Now that we have the required things, we can just go ahead and start making portable DIY Black Light:

Get a piece of transparent tape and place over the flash of your device and paint over the flash with “Blue” marker. Make sure you don’t get any on your phone.
Repeat the first step and again paste another piece of transparent tape over the flash and paint using Blue marker.
Next, place third piece of transparent tape on the flash just above the two pieces of tape we pasted. And this time paint over the flash with purple marker. So basically, that’s two blue and one purple over your LED or flash.
Now you’re done, so you can just check it out by turning on the flash.
Next, Use the sheet of white paper and draw or write anything you want on it using the Highlighter. For eg. a smiley 🙂 or anything you want.
Draw anything or write with Highlighter
Now go to a dark place or simply switch of all the lights to see the magic. Turn on the flash, point the light to the sheet and you will be able to see the drawing or writing, glowing in the dark.

SMiley glowing in the Black light – Smartphone Black light

Watch following Video for more:

So that was it guys in this DIY, how to turn your smartphone into a portable black light. Hope you enjoyed this guide. Please don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter below. And if you enjoyed this DIY HowTo guide then please let us know via comments below. Share your opinions. Thanks!!

September 28, 2015 0 comment

DIY How To

How to make Your Own DIY VR or Google Cardboard

by Ravi Singh September 26, 2015

written by Ravi Singh

Google Cardboard is basically a virtual reality cardboard box. Google Cardboard was made with a sole aim of getting VR into the hands of everyone. There are now 14 different styled Google Cardboards available which you can see here. The best thing about the Google Cardboard is that it’s affordable and made of common household products or products that are easily available in the market. You can buy one for less than $20 and there are more than 100’s of apps supported and built for Google cardboard which you can install from PlayStore.

Making own DIY Google Cardboard or VR Headset

But making your own DIY VR Headset ‘aka’ Google cardboard is much easier than you thought it was and below are the instructions of making one.

Making DIY VR Headset/Google CardBoard:

Google provides a printable template and building materials for making your own VR headset at home.

Things we need:

A piece of cardboard (atleast 22”x8.75” inches)
2”inch strips of three quarter inch wide Velcro
One ¾” inchneodymium ring magnet
One ¾”inch Ceramic Disc Magnet
Two Biconvex Lenses (45mm approx. focal lenght).
One Rubber band and NFC tag (optional)

Tools Needed:

An exacto Knife
A Scotch tape or Some adhesive or superglue

Making Headset:

First download the manufacturing kit from google and extract the zip file in a folder.
Open the Template and print it.

Google Cradboard – VR Headset DIY Printable Template

Use scissors and scale to strip away the extra paper from the template and use glue to connect the pieces of the main body template together over one another using the numbers.
There are total three templates : Body, Lense holder and Lens Divider.
Next paste the template on the cardboard using glue or adhesive and let it settle for few minutes.
Now comes the hard part i.e. cutting the cardboard’s every little gap with the exacto knife. It will take arount 30-45 minutes to cut down as smaller cuts will need more focus.
After you done with the cutting of the cardboard, it’s time to start assembling the pieces
Now insert the two lenses into the eyeholes (pay attention to their orientation). See the template for info. Fold the upper and lower part which protects the lenses from falling down.

Tip: Use Steel Scale which will help you to make sharp and straight folds.

Place the Magnets on their spots by using superglue and start folding.
Insert the Lens holder with a divider and grab the cardboard frame around it. Use glue to paste the folds together.
At last add Velcro at the top of the flap which will be used to insert your phone inside the VR headset.

Your VR headset is now ready and now you can start using it by downloading the Cardboard app from Google Play.

Please note that this is not compatible with larger phones i.e. more than 5 inches.

Wasn’t it so easy to make it. I hope that you have successfully made your own DIY Virtual Reality Headset or Google Cardboard with ease. Tell us how you feel and was this guide helpful via comments down below. Also, don’t forget to subscribe us for more such Guides, Tech Updates and much more. Enter your email below and SUBSCRIBE NOW!! Thanks 🙂 & Have a Great day!!

September 26, 2015 1 comment