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burnt_toast

469 karma · joined November 28, 2018

Ed Abbondanzio. Interested in pretty much anything mechanical, or electrical. I love coming up with elegant solutions to problems, or creating new ideas.

Website: https://eddieabbondanz.io Github: https://github.com/EddieAbbondanzio

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burnt_toast··on Ask HN: What are you working on? (November 2026)
https://minihomelabs.com/hwdb - Basically the PCPartPicker of used OEM hardware.

It's harder than it should be to compare old pcs for home labbing so I've been building this to scratch my own itch. Right now it's more focused on specs but I'm working on expanding out to to include things like viable upgrades and explaining the different model lineups.

burnt_toast··on Show HN: I built a tool that prices a pre-built PC part by part
Not OP but I've been working on something similar to that: https://minihomelabs.com/hwdb

I use mini pcs for homelabbing and was getting frustrated trying to figure out how they all compare.

burnt_toast··on I electrified my push scooter with a power drill
No the front wheel can freespin with the drill off because it has one way bearings.The drill does stop immediately but it doesn't impact the wheel.
burnt_toast··on I electrified my push scooter with a power drill
I lean towards the right but lean the scooter towards the left a bit. As long as your body weight is rightward the scooter stays stable and you can turn.
burnt_toast··on I electrified my push scooter with a power drill
No, just goatcounter and it showed a spike from HN.
burnt_toast··on I electrified my push scooter with a power drill
Hey all, author here. I had no idea this hit hackernews until my website traffic spiked. Happy to answer any questions. The scooter is still holding strong.
burnt_toast··on Combustion Engine Web-Based Simulator
Nice little project, I inputted the dimensions of a engine I've been building (b20-vtec) and it estimated 160whp which sounds low but I also can't set up my cams properly because it looks like this was designed for SOHC engines.

Very cool either way.

burnt_toast··on Google Flight Simulator
Can confirm, we used to play it in the high school I went to around 2012 because it was one of the few games that the network filters didn't block.
burnt_toast··on Work with the garage door up
Niche forums are still alive and well.

I run a blog and like to write about projects but it's hard to get feedback there unless you're willing to moderate comments. As a work around I started sharing build threads on places like garagejournal and you can get a lot of good feedback.

burnt_toast··on The dangers of California's legislation to censor 3D printing
> Cool - you mean like the CNC I have sitting next to the printers? Which this legislation doesn't cover?

Other states like Colorado have similar bills that define a "3d printer" as a computer aided machine that uses additive or subtractive manufacturing processes so CNC machines likely aren't safe either.

https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb26-1144

burnt_toast··on FreeCAD
I'm a big fan of FreeCAD and have been using it to design and sell 3d printed parts. The learning curve was kinda steep because FreeCAD really wants you to things the "FreeCAD way" but once I got past that I started to enjoy using it.

My only gripe with FreeCAD is that the program runs on a single CPU core as far as I can tell and it's easy to lock up the program for multiple seconds if you do too complex of an operation. This isn't usually an issue for me though.

burnt_toast··on California's new bill requires DOJ-approved 3D printers that report themselves
> Can you even make a firearm in plastic?

Yes but most designs still require metal bits. Typically the frame will be 3d printed and then you rely on machined components for things like slides and rails.

burnt_toast··on Report: Microsoft kills official way to activate Windows 11/10 without internet
That won't work. Windows won't let you finish the installation process unless you connect to the internet so you can't get the PC to a point where you could install the drivers.
burnt_toast··on AMD officially confirms fresh next-gen Zen 6 CPU details
Hopefully it settles down soon. DDR4 prices are climbing now as well since more people are sticking with it.

I'd love to build a new desktop soon but I couldn't justify the cost and am instead building out a used desktop that's still on ddr4 / lga1151.

burnt_toast··on Show HN: My hobby OS that runs Minecraft
Congrats! Seeing an old version of MC makes me nostalgic.
burnt_toast··on iPhone Air
My sample size is small but the usual reason I hear from non-technical individuals is that they want the best camera possible.
burnt_toast··on Physically Based Rendering in Filament
You can make lithophanes with 3d prints. I don't know about anyone else but that's what I thought this post would be about.
burnt_toast··on Volkswagen gates a new vehicle's full horsepower behind monthly subscription
Typically ICE cars will offer variants of the "same" motor with different cams or pistons or even cylinder heads for the higher hp models alongside that better tune though.
burnt_toast··on Vanishing from Hyundai’s data network
Car phones weren't common place and were typically only available in some higher end luxury cars. I wouldn't exactly call that lots of cars.
burnt_toast··on Does iOS have sideloading yet?
I'm not the one blaming consumers here.

Sorry to hear about your Grandmother but just because someone has an Iphone doesn't mean the scammers will give up. They'll just pick another attack vector.

burnt_toast··on Does iOS have sideloading yet?
> It's your phone that you bought from Apple with full knowledge of the restrictions beforehand. If you wanted a phone with more freedom you could have bought another device and voted with your wallet, but you didn't.

This is an unfair argument. No consumer can be expected to do hours of research on every purchase they make and understand the implications of everything. Manufacturers can say almost anything they want as "marketing" and can/do change the terms at anytime they wish.

> Software limitations are not exclusive to Apple. They're everywhere. For instance, manufacturers intentionally kneecap CPUs/GPUs so they can sell the same chips from the same wafer at different price points. Why aren't they targeted too? You bought the whole chip but you don't get to use it.

Yes and motherboard manufacturers have also offered BIOS options to bypass those kneecaps. I remember having fun unlocking the fourth core on my AMD Athlon II x3 455 and getting the "whole chip".

It's not quite the same scenario though. Some of those CPUs/GPUs have hardware issues such as an unstable core and the company is making the best of it by selling them as lesser models instead of trashing them.

burnt_toast··on Solaar is a Linux manager for many Logitech keyboards, mice, and other devices
Semi-agree. I've had 2 mx525s fail within ~6 months of purchase but I've also had a mx anywhere 2s that I bought used and got 3 years of usage out of it before I had to replace the switches.

I wouldn't buy a cheap mouse from them again.

burnt_toast··on Ask HN: What are you working on (August 2024)?
A desktop app for analyzing Node.js heap dumps. I've had to hunt down some for work and I feel like the tooling could be improved.
burnt_toast··on Automakers Sold Driver Data for Pennies, Senators Say
I know every dealer is different but I've worked at several and never heard of gps trackers for inventory purposes. Dealers don't usually kept track of where the cars are very well.

On the flip side smaller questionable used car dealers have definitely installed trackers to help with repoing a car in the event the buyer stops paying, or even worse lock down the car so it won't start.

burnt_toast··on Hard work wins in business (a.k.a. it ain't just about luck)
Why can't it be both? You can work hard and the business can still flop due to things outside of your control.

I started a business a year before Covid hit. I worked hard and did multiple weeks of working 6 - 7 days. Then Covid popped up and my customer base slowly dried up due to people struggling to make ends meet. Working hard wouldn't have prevent Covid.

burnt_toast··on Ask HN: How did you get people to visit your personal blog?
Personally I just write about things I'm interested in talking about. I do a lot of in-depth car project posts and since I like to hang out on car specific subreddits I'll drop a link once in awhile if it relevant.

It's better to focus on helping others vs self advertising.

burnt_toast··on Google Cloud region currently down due to water intrusion
It's okay because once the water evaporates its backup in the cloud.
burnt_toast··on Ask HN: Those making $0/month or less on side projects – Show and tell
Marqus: https://github.com/EddieAbbondanzio/marqus

It's yet another markdown based note taking app. I wanted something that gave as much screen real estate to the note's content vs navigation so it'd be easy to use on small screens, and I also wanted to save my notes in plain files vs a proprietary format.

I don't plan on charging any money for the app itself so it'll never make me any money but I do plan on offering an optional note syncing service for multi-device support that'll be a few bucks a month.

burnt_toast··on Remotely unlock/start/locate any remotely connected Honda/Nissan [resolved]
Lol, manuals can be equipped with remote start too. Hopefully it wasn't left in gear.
burnt_toast··on Average new car transaction price hits a record $48,043
Yup, some engine's are designed for it. Usually for performance reasons if the engine is boosted or high compression.
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