We've seen two major shifts in technology trends with websites and mobile apps - now there's a third one rearing its head. OpenAI's ChatGPT with plugins is on the cards and you better be ready for it. In the midst of fumbling for answers to whether we need these plugins or not, let me reassure you that it's not too complex. Far from requiring a squad of specialist developers, all you need to know is how to make an API to create a plugin for ChatGPT. Yes, there are potential pitfalls around security and data protection, but with the right...
21 May 2023
In another thrilling adventure with ChatGPT, I endeavored to integrate it with a Raspberry Pi, effectively turning it into my own personal light switch. My custom ChatGPT plugin, sporting just two endpoints, could revolutionize how we handle APIs, as it managed to control five different lights with simplicity and style. With a dash of YAML magic, ChatGPT managed to deduce the entire process, paving the way for future smart home projects. Big or small, the potential applications are endless and might even lead to computers communicating in human language!
14 May 2023
In a fun-filled deep dive into a Philip's Hue Color light bulb, I disassembled, analyzed, and ultimately restored it to working order. Over the course of the hack, I dismantled the bulb’s interior, from the aluminum PCB to the tiny ICs on the logic board, gave a detailed breakdown of their functions and even reverse engineered the signals controlling the colors. Most of the colors worked out pretty well, except for the dodgy yellow. Also, I tried running the hacked bulb setup with my old Moonlamp project. It was a great challenge and an exciting journey!
04 May 2023
Exploring the capabilities of ChatGPT, particularly GPT-4, I exposed a shortcoming regarding the model's ability to remember or store information it has 'thought' about during a dialogue sequence. Probing deeper, I developed an experimental system named ChatGPT Memory to input detailed information into the system like 'dreams', 'goals', 'inner dialogue' and more. While this method doesn't make the AI truly sentient, it definitely pushes the envelope and leads to interesting outputs. Although there are limitations, especially when handling more complex tasks, the enhancements present an exciting prospect for future iterations of the model.
12 April 2023
In this post, I explore the usefulness of GitHub badges to easily represent the status of a GitHub project. I discuss their importance in attracting people to your project and provide a step-by-step guide on how to add these badges to your Arduino projects using GitHub actions. Lastly, I recommend setting things up so that only successful pull requests can be merged to maintain the integrity of the project.
31 March 2023
Pondered the future of coding with a colleague of mine recently, as one does. Couldn't help feeling a tad underwhelmed by the programming tools like GitHub's Copilot X and ChatGPT. Sure, these AI-powered coding buddies are smart, helpful and do save time, but they more or less tinker around the edges - optimize the existing processes but don't fundamentally alter them. Software development still remains a tedious enterprise - a loop of problem-definition, code-generation, code-validation, and feedback. Not so different from what it was 30 years ago really. We're surrounded by subpar software everywhere - the bugs, the slowness, the...
25 March 2023
After a previous unsuccessful attempt to power my Christmas lights with solar power, I've decided to try run my ultra-energy efficient ePaper weather display on solar energy. This display, already low on power consumption thanks to ESP32's deep sleep mode, is now paired with the BQ25570 energy-harvesting board and lithium cell to test if solar power can keep it running. Despite the limited Scottish winter sun, initial results look promising. With a little more code tinkering, it is my belief that the weather display might just keep running indefinitely and never need charging again.
23 March 2023
In this enlightening blog post, I dive into the tantalizing world of ChatGPT and Large Language Models. Clarifying its operation, I unlock this enigma by comparing its mechanisms to a simple language model. However, Challenges arise due to the explosion of possible token combinations, leading to an inherent 'lossy' compression of our world's vast information. Surprisingly, even with such compression, these models can mimic human language in a compelling manner. I also investigate possible strategies to optimize this amazing technology - including zero-shot learning, one-shot learning, few-shot learning, and fine-tuning. Entering the era of prompt engineering and larger models, we're...
08 March 2023
I've built a successful YouTube channel in the 'maker' niche, with over 100 videos and 27,000 subscribers since I started in 2020. Despite loving the journey of generating and executing ideas and building a community, I've felt the constraints of sticking to the narrow content scope that my subscribers expect and the platform's algorithm reinforces. Though the ideal solution seems to be creating multiple channels for each interest, the realities of channel management and monetization rules make this a challenging prospect.
06 March 2023
In this post, I cover the migration of our cocktail bot to use the newly available ChatGPT API. Prompt engineering is performed to accurately guide the bot's versatility in cocktail recommendations. A Python application is provided via GitHub for testing the chatbot. To ensure appropriateness in user inputs, a moderation system from OpenAI’s API has also been integrated. However, readers are reminded to consume the AI's cocktail suggestions responsibly and remember that it's just a machine- its advice could potentially lead to less than satisfactory results.
05 March 2023
Strap yourselves in, folks, we're in for a wild ride! ChatGPT's new API has reignited my excitement for Large Language Models, just like the start of the dot com boom. With the pricing now 10 times cheaper, a flurry of creative and previously unthinkable use cases is within our grasp. Despite earlier doubts, I now believe we're scaling the peak of inflated expectations. Can't wait to see the innovative applications that will spring from this!
01 March 2023
In this blog post, I embarked on a fun project to create a DIY power bank using two 10,000mAh lithium cells I had lying around, and a charge control board. After some tinkering and tests, I learned that measuring power bank efficiency requires more than looking at amp-hours. With some help from a friend, I found out our power bank was actually over 93% efficient, a pretty fantastic result. Despite some challenges with certain devices not drawing their full potential power from my power bank, I concluded that while it was an enjoyable project, buying a ready-made power bank might...
15 February 2023
As a developer frequently publishing code snippets on GitHub, I'm finding an increasing amount of my time being demanded for support and fixes. The reality is, I don't always have the time or resources to provide the help that each user deserves. 'Cloners beware' has become my motto as I try to remind others that using a public GitHub repo does not come with guarantees or warranties. Please remember, I'm a human with my own responsibilities and projects too.
06 February 2023
In a sea of ChatGPT chatter, we're stirring things up a bit with a cocktail chatbot of our own. From 'prompt engineering' to tailoring your bot for chit-chat about martinis, we've got you covered - the OpenAI playground is our bartender school! It won't just mix up your favorite cocktails, it remembers your preferences too, just like your favourite barman would. Be warned though: my fancy mixologist bot won't be held responsible for any questionable cocktails or spectacular headaches you end up with! So, pull up a barstool and let's dive right in.
15 January 2023
While exploring my old tweets, I noticed one where I exuberantly declared 'I'm getting a drone!', leading me down a rabbit hole that included a forgotten Kickstarter campaign and a $520 pledge. After fearing I'd fallen victim again to a failed Kickstarter project, I discovered in my trove of saved emails that the campaign creators refunded my pledge when they realised the idea wasn't feasible, marking a rare and pleasing end to a Kickstarter adventure.
12 January 2023
Here's a wild ride with ChatGPT and other large language models! They're ace at cooking up plausible-sounding text, but they're not always the best when it comes to spitting out the truth - they've got a funky relationship with facts. One research paper showed they can come out with believable but totally fake answers to seemingly straightforward facts. But when I messed around with various models, there were a few discrepancies. Some got it right or plausibly wrong, but we humans are pretty gullible and tend to believe plausible-sounding info. So when it comes to using ChatGPT, make sure you...
08 January 2023
In this article, I explore the different reactions that folks are having towards this tidal wave of AI in our lives, ranging from 'meh' dismissals to outright existential anxiety. I argue that AI is here to augment our capabilities, not replace us. While we might find AI occasionally stumbling, let's not overlook the amazing gift of efficiency and productivity it brings. Sure, we might be worried about the implications it has on our jobs, but isn't it also thrilling to have an AI companion working along with us 'cause if a computer can do my job better, maybe I should...
01 January 2023
My recent post was featured on Hacker News and rose to the number 2 spot, attracting over 45,000 requests or 29,000 unique IPs in a single day, a phenomenon known as the 'Hacker News Effect'. Since my Jekyll-generated site largely comprises static HTML, CSS and images and is hosted inexpensively on Amazon AWS with CloudFront, it was quite capable of handling this traffic surge. Utilizing CloudFront's traffic logs, I've created several visual representations to track and understand the flow of traffic geographically.
15 December 2022