Electric vehicle batteries
My expectation was to buy an electric scooter battery with a 20km range for $60.
This is because online retailers sell them at this price, but considering that the local physical store offers repair and installation services, I thought the battery might be cheaper there, and I could also check the scooter’s condition in person.
However, after asking the owner, I found out he wanted $100, saying that the batteries he sells have a minimum range of 40km. I know this is double the price compared to online.
This far exceeded my expectations, so I’m not planning to buy a battery for now and will consider it again later.
Mobile phone automation
AutoJS is no longer being updated.
I’m using the free version of AutoJS 6.
I use it to monitor the status of live streams; if a stream stops, it sends an ntfy notification to my phone.
AutoJS 6 can use accessibility features to read text, images, and other information from the screen and apps, and can also interact with app elements on the phone.
Therefore, it’s generally used for automation scenarios such as automatic app check-ins or work time tracking.
I’ve tested it, and it can detect unattended YouTube live streams and notify me immediately if there’s an anomaly.
Later, I will add a buzzer or other specific sound effects for anomalies.
Unfortunately, the Chrome browser on my phone doesn’t support extensions, so many automation scenarios are unusable.
Remote meeting
I’m currently using VPN and FRP proxies on my cloud server.
They can proxy traffic and also proxy my WordPress blog and other websites.
Next, I’ve set up the open-source remote desktop application RustDesk.
I also use Element and Matrix for building a chat server.
And I’ve set up an MQTT server to connect with Home Assistant smart home devices.
I recommend ntfy for message notifications and logging on Android phones.
Essentially, I don’t recommend storing data on the cloud server; it’s only used as a relay for public network traffic.
Today I added Mirotalk for remote meetings and Coturn for P2P connections. Initially, I set it up for secure two-way communication for privacy reasons, but I later discovered it also supports multi-person video calls, recording, and text messaging. It’s incredibly convenient because you only need to click a link; no app installation is required.
With this, I can freely discuss things without worrying about privacy.
In actual testing, even with low cloud server bandwidth and limited mobile data, the calls and video work well, unlike other social media apps that eavesdrop on conversations, filter content, and have various audio issues.
Most importantly, it’s open-source and free.
If you have a cloud server, I also recommend installing FRP, RustDesk, Element+Matrix, EMQX (MQTT), ntfy, Mirotalk+Coturn, and a VPN.
Essentially, these are all for traffic and notifications; no data is stored.
If you have any better applications to recommend (primarily for traffic, not data storage), please let me know.
Tips
It’s almost the end of 2025, only one week left until 2026.
A new year, a new beginning.