All posts by Andrew

About Andrew

Based in the UK - Phone: OnePlus 10 Pro - Tablet: Samsung Tab S8 - Watch: Scurfa Treasure Seeker in white

The Lazarus Heist Podcast

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Photo by Steve Barker on Unsplash

With sources indicating that North Korea’s Lazarus Group were behind the recent cryptocurrency theft from Bybit, it’s worth revisiting the BBC’s series of podcasts, “The Lazarus Heist“.

Originally produced in two sets for 2021 and 2023, these podcasts are both entertaining and educational as to the activities of hacking groups and how they achieve their goals. These are highly trained, well-prepared and patient state-sponsored groups needing hard currency to fund their country’s regimes.

Series 1 begins with the hack of Sony Pictures all the way back in 2014 and follows the trail all across the world to an audacious bank theft partially foiled by a spelling mistake. Series 2 continues with millions in cash stolen simultaneously from ATMs all round the world.

Geek News Central has covered many of the newsworthy events in the episodes but the Lazarus Heist podcasts brings several of those outwardly unconnected events into a joined up narrative that illustrates how dangerous this group can be. Their strength isn’t necessarily their hacking skills, but rather how they organise and think things through. Definitely worth a listen to better understand the motives behind them and the tactics involved.

Having trouble with your Motorola or Lenovo smartphone? Use Software Fix

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If you are the owner of a Motorola or Lenovo smartphone, you really ought to know about Motorola’s Software Fix app for Windows. This is a fantastic support app that will do its very best to get your phone up and running again without needing a trip to the local phone repair shop. No, it can’t fix a cracked screen but it can fix bootloader issues and OTA upgrade problems.

I’ve used it to repair a Moto G-something where the bootloader had become unlocked and every time the phone rebooted, there was an imperious warning in red lettering before the phone started booting. It wasn’t really a big deal but I wanted to sell the phone and make sure it was all in good working order for the buyer. Software Fix sorted it out, upgrading the phone to the latest Android version and relocking the bootloader.

Previously known as RSA (Rescue and Support Assistant), it’s been rebranded as Software Fix and works with Motorola and Lenovo phones, tablets and headsets. On the whole, the software is straightforward but it can be a little intimidating as Windows and the phone can sometimes throw up warnings when installing software such as the ADB drivers. You need to power through.

Overall, it’s a case of install the software, connect the phone via a cable and get busy. A connection through WiFi works for some of the tools, but I prefer the greater certainty of a USB cable. One of the early steps in the process is to enable Developer Mode by tapping on Build multiple times and Software Fix takes you though what needs to be done.

In addition to repairs, hardware tests can check the phone is operating normally.

One word of warning. If you do any low level work such as upgrading the OS, these actions are destructive as it’s effectively a factory reset (although it remains tied to the Google account). Make sure you have all the backups and uploads done before you start work.

Finally, if you do have a Motorola or Lenovo device, I’d recommend taking a look at this now even if you don’t yet have a problem. It’s worth figuring it all out before you have a problem, so that when you do, it’s an easy fix as you’ve got everything ready.

The Best Mechanical Pencils? Uni Kuru Toga

writing,

If you come from any kind of scientific or engineering background, I’d be fairly confident that a pencil is your writing implement of choice, specifically a mechanical or propelling pencil. For most people, it’ll be a 0.5 mm lead but if you come from a draughting background, you’ll have two, one with a 0.3 mm lead and the other with 0.7 mm. I’m kind of partial to 0.7 mm myself: the extra width gives the writing more weight, especially with a softer lead.

For those who aren’t pencil fans, you need to look again at them as writing implements. They’re some of the best tools to get emotion down on the page as the darkness of the line reflects the pressure of your hand.

Obviously pencils wear down as you write and if you hold the pencil in the same grip, the lead can become chiselled with a flat side and sharp point, which can all too easily tear into (cheap) paper. The solution to this is Uni’s Kuru Toga range of propelling pencils which have an innovative mechanism to rotate the pencil lead every time the pencil touches down onto the paper, keeping the tip of the lead in more of a dome shape that won’t rip the page. I’m a big fan.

As they’re mostly produced for the Japanese domestic market, it can be difficult to see the whole range in an English website. There’s broadly three types available; smooth, gel or knurled grips. Although there’s a wide range of pencils (and all typically costing less than US$20 / GB£20), my personal favourite is the Uni Kuru Toga Elite. It’s a tasteful silver, with a metal knurled barrel enhancing both the grip and its engineering kudos.

If you haven’t used a pencil since school, I’d suggest you pick one up and give it a whirl. Try and support your local specialist writing store if you can, otherwise they are available online.

 

Pantone Color of the Year 2025 is Mocha Mousse

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For 2025 Pantone has announced Mocha Mousse as the Color of the Year. Officially PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse, the colour is “a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nurtures us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort.”

Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, explains, “Underpinned by our desire for every day pleasures, PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse expresses a level of thoughtful indulgence. Sophisticated and lush, yet at the same time an unpretentious classic, Mocha Mousse extends our perceptions of the browns from being humble and grounded to embrace aspirational and luxe. Infused with subtle elegance and earthy refinement, Mocha Mousse presents a discrete and tasteful touch of glamour. A flavorful brownshade, Mocha Mousse envelopes us with its sensorial warmth.”

This year’s Mocha Mousse follows on from last year’s Peach Fuzz and for the full story on this year’s color choice, there’s a comprehensive Pantone feature on the Color of the Year. I’d suggest that this year, going from Peach Fuzz to Mocha Mousse is more of a evolution in color rather than the distinctive breaks that are more usual.

It’s also 26 years of the Pantone Color of the year. Back in 2000, it was PANTONE 15-4020 Cerulean and for those paying attention, that was the colour namechecked in The Devil Wears Prada when Andy gets a dressing down from Miranda on her choice of jumper.

As with previous years, Pantone has worked with other partners to transform Mocha Mousse into more than just colours. Continuing the existing relationship, Motorola has introduced two special edition smartphones, the edge 50 neo and the razr 50 ultra. They’re currently out of stock but you can be notified when they’re ready. In addition to this year’s Color of the Year, there are other Pantone color choices for the phones such as Poinciana and Nautical Blue.

Although there doesn’t seem to be a formal arrangement with Microsoft which was in place for 2022’s Very Peri, there are plenty of Mocha Mousse wallpapers to download. Stay bang on trend in your next online meeting.

If you are a designer, all the colour standards are on Pantone’s site, including some downloads for Adobe products. The codes for PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mouse are sRGB: 164 120 100 and Hex: #A47864.

Mocha Mousse imagery courtesy of Pantone. Edge and Razr photos courtesy of Motorola.

Nank Runner Diver2 Pro Bone Conduction Headphones

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The Nank Runner Diver2 Pro (henceforth RD2P) headphones are a little bit different from your usual Bluetooth headset or earbuds. Instead of sitting over or in your ear canal, the RD2Ps use bone conduction to get sound into your ears, with the “speakers” sitting a little in front of the ear, resting on the top of your jawbone. The vibrations pass from the RD2P into your skull and then on to the auditory sensors buried deep in your ears: it’s a little bit like how you hear yourself. What are my first impressions? They’re great and I wish I’d discovered them years ago.

The RD2P headphones come in a small box with a little pile of accessories aimed at getting the most out of the RD2Ps. There’s the RD2P headphones themselves, which hook over the ears with the loop going round the back of the head rather than over the top. There’s a bit of spring in the band, making sure that the headphones stick firmly to your head. On the right hand side, there are three control buttons, ostensibly volume up, down and play/pause but combinations of multiple presses change the operating mode of the device. On the inner side, there’s a magnetic pogo pin connector where the data transfer and charging cable connects. The cable is included in the box.

Battery life is stated at 10 hours and I’m not going to quibble with that. I fully charged the headphones when I got them and I’ve still to charge them after about two weeks and a good bit of exercise.

Data transfer? Yes. Not only can the RD2P work as Bluetooth headphones, it also includes a media player with 32 GB of storage, which is fantastic if you want to listen to music while swimming. Obviously you don’t want have your smartphone at the side of the pool and Bluetooth radio waves really don’t transmit well through water, so having a built-in mp3 player is essential. Three presses of the middle button switches between the Bluetooth and media player (TF) modes.

Also in the box are some ear plugs in a little case: I’m not an earplug person so I didn’t use them. Let’s be honest, the whole point of bone conduction headphones is to avoid sticking things in your ear. In addition to the ear plugs, the RD2P comes with what Nank calls “sound quality enhancers”. They’re in pairs, one for each ear, and come in small, medium and large to sit inside the outer part of your ear – have a look at the picture. They did work – I’ll talk about audio quality shortly – but I’m not convinced they’ll be used much. These headphones are aimed at active people doing running, biking, swimming and the enhancers are a bit fiddly and something to lose.

Rounding out the box contents is a small silicone strap for, say, connecting the headphones to swim googles, and of course, some instructions. There’s no carrycase included though one is available from Nank’s store for an extra £15. Probably worth it if the RD2Ps are going to be lugged round in a gym bag and you don’t want to trash them.

The Runner Diver 2 Pro headphones are aimed at people doing sport and I think they do this job admirably especially as they’re IP69 rated which means they’re properly waterproof – according to the spec it’s up to 10 m deep for 5 hours. I tried them running, biking and swimming and for swimming, they’re a total audio revelation. Let’s talk about running and biking first….in terms of fit, the RD2Ps stayed in place really well. The combination of the over-ear loops and springiness of the neckband works well, and no issues with wearing glasses either. They’re very easy to wear generally as there’s no tiredness that sometimes comes from wearing headphones over or on the ears or earbuds in the ear. With cycling you do have to figure out how they’re going to work with your helmet straps which come down round your ears. I had to put the RD2Ps on first and then my helmet, otherwise the helmet strap blocked where vibrating pads rested on my jaw.

An advantage of bone conduction of headphones is that as they don’t obstruct the ears, other sounds can be heard clearly. This is handy if you need to be aware of a car coming up behind your or even if you simply need to hear someone talking to you. Nank advertise a noise cancelling capability with the RD2Ps which is engaged by tilting the earpads backwards closer to the ear canal. The effect isn’t as pronounced or as convincing as ANC earbuds so I wouldn’t rely on them for a transatlantic flight.

When it comes to audio quality, don’t expect these to be IEMs, but it’s still good. Music is detailed and clear, a little bit brighter, perhaps a bit thinner and the biggest difference is a reduction in bass. There’s not that “oomph” at the low end that can be expected from air-transmitted sound. Don’t get me wrong, I was delighted when I heard these for the first time simply sitting at my desk – they’re very clear and you can hear great detail. And we haven’t even talked about swimming…getting in the pool with these on is revelatory experience when your head is under the water. The music suddenly becomes richer and fuller: I couldn’t stop grinning for my first few lengths and I was amazed that other people didn’t hear the music as I swam past. They’re truly brilliant. It’s crazy being at the bottom of the pool (2.6 m) bopping away to your favourite mixes.

I’ve used other products with waterproof earbuds which were supposed to seal the ear canal and keep the water out. However, as soon as water got past the seal the sound became all muffled and there was never any fixing the problem while in the pool. You still do get odd effects with the RD2Ps depending on whether your head is in or out of the water as the liquid drains in and out of the ear but you can still hear the music or podcast. Wearing the earplugs helps with that but I’m quite happy doing the crawl with one ear occasionally out of the water. I honestly can’t see myself doing lengths without the RD2Ps ever again.

Any problems? The female voice that announces functions like “Pairing” or “Bluetooth mode” is a bit, err, vibrate-y and gives me the tingles, which doesn’t happen when listening to a podcast.

Pricewise, the full price is around UK£155 but there’s discount on at the moment which brings the price down to about £125 and they’re available directly from Nank’s online store. The Runner Diver2 Pro headphones were supplied to me for review by Nank but I can genuinely say that I’d spend my own money on these for the swimming performance alone. Definitely recommended.

Thanks to Nank for supplying the Runner Diver2 Pro bone conduction headphones for review.

Twinkly Gets The Winter Fun Started Early

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Anyone who’s serious about Christmas knows about Twinkly. Their lights can transform your ho-hum set of twigs into a truly showstopping Christmas tree that tops off the festive season. How? Twinkly have this great set of Xmas lights which you drape round your tree as you would normally, but then the Twinkly app works it’s magic using your smartphone to map the positions of the lights to show off special effects that are perfectly synced no matter how incompetently you put on the lights. It’s awesome and really is a wonder the first time you do it.

Christmas is still a few months away but given the time of year Twinkly are reminding us that they can put on quite the show for Halloween too. Less red and gold and more green, orange and purple.

Twinkly do a wide range of lights from strings to curtains to squares and tubes. I really didn’t know how many different types they had to offer until quite recently.

Finally, in a piece of sheer marketing genius, Twinkly have signed up Chevy Chase as their 2024 Christmas Ambassador. You will have to have watched National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation to understand the brilliance of this. If you haven’t see the film, put it on your watchlist for the holiday season. Suffice to say that Christmas lights feature heavily in the film. Here’s Chevy aka Clark Griswold upping his game.

I can’t believe that they even do reindeers…

If you are in UK, the entire range is available from the Twinkly website, B&Q, Very and Currys. There are some discounts on now if you want to be prepared before the Xmas rush.

Thinking about an EV? Part 2 – How Far Does an EV Go?

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While many countries are encouraging motorists to embrace electric vehicles (EVs), there is a massive amount of FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) regarding the new vehicles. Some of it comes from vested interests, some of it from ignorance, but I’ve had an EV for over 10 years now and I think they’re great. My first two cars were plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) – that’s where there’s a smaller battery backed up by a petrol engine – but my current car of nearly three years is completely battery powered (BEVs).

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that the automotive industry and general society is in a period of upheaval. We’ve been used to mass ownership of cars fuelled by petrol for about 70 years and switching to electricity doesn’t happen overnight. However, I’ve seen the change over the past decade and while EVs might not be for everyone, they can be right for many people. This is the second part of a series and you might want to go back and read the first one if you haven’t already.

Many of those commentators critical of EVs have made much of the perceived lack of range or how far the car can go from fully charged, so today’s discussion is on how far the car goes on a single charge, what to do when you need to go away from home and what’s known as “range anxiety”. This is where you start getting anxious as to whether you’ll reach your destination before the battery runs out. I’ve never run out of charge in my 3 years of battery EV ownership and I’ve never even been close to running out. Partly that’s because I don’t do very many long journeys, but it’s mainly about being prepared and planning in advance of your trip. We’ll get into the detail in a minute.

So…how far does an EV go on a fully charged battery?

It depends….

On what?

Just like a petrol car, it depends on whether you are pottering round town or cruising along the motorway; whether you have heavy right foot or a light touch; whether it’s hilly or flat; whether it’s cold and wet, or dry and sunny; 50 kWh battery or 80 kWh battery. Many EVs have official ranges in excess of 300 miles (Tesla Y Long Range, Volvo XC40, Audi Q4 40). My car’s specified range is 285 miles but I wouldn’t bank on getting more than 250.

Most EVs will show the state of the battery’s charge as a percentage and you’ll get to know your vehicle pretty well over time. I use the rule of thumb of 25% battery for every 50 miles. It’s an underestimate but it’s useful to know as you look at the signs at the side of the road. The car will usually also display a range but this is based on recent driving, so if you’ve been driving up a hill for the last few miles, the range will gradually reduce as the car has been getting fewer miles per kWh. On the other hand, driving at 60 on a flat motorway will likely see the range extended as the car uses less electricity to go further.

My petrol car will do over 400 miles on a tank!

Great, but how often do you actually do 400 miles in a day? My daily mileage is about 20 miles and I’ll maybe do 50 miles on a Sunday for a run out. If I need to go to the capital of Ireland, Dublin, it’s 100 miles away. I’m charging at home so if I wanted to, I could start each day with a full charge. Day-to-day, I’m never worrying about fuel.

Fair enough, but what if I have to go further and the battery needs to be recharged?

Broadly there are two categories of chargers that you are looking for when you are away from home. The first are the chargers that you need en route to get to where you are going. These are typically high power chargers and are usually found close to major routes. Ideally you want to spend a short amount of time at these, preferably less than an hour.

The second are destination chargers which are often offered by hotels and other facilities where you might be spending more time. These chargers won’t be as powerful but you’ll leave your car connected to these longer, perhaps overnight. These are great if you’re staying at a hotel and the car can be fully charged for the morning. You’ll usually need your own charging cable for these, so make sure you bring that with you. Phone the hotel in advance and ask – you might even be able to reserve it.

And what if I’m staying in the back end of nowhere?

Then you are going to have to get out your granny charger. This is the name given to a charger that plugs into a domestic 230V 13A socket. It’s slow and it takes a whole 24 hours to charge an 80 kWh battery from flat, but it might be all you have or need. A granny charger is usually supplied with the car (but not always).

That’s all great in theory, but what’s the reality?

 

You plan and prepare. Failing to plan is planning to fail (sorry). Here’s how I do it.

  • Make sure you charge to 100% at home before you leave.
  • Use the on-line maps and EV apps to decide where to stop.
  • Pick charging locations where there are several high power chargers and some facilities. Where there are multiple chargers, there’s less of a chance of getting there only to find they’re all in use. Look for CCS2 chargers in excess of 100kW as they’ll charge the battery quickly. If there are facilities nearby, like restaurants or shops, there’s something to do while the car is charging.
  • Match charging with eating. Some McDonald’s restaurants have chargers, which is great if you have kids needing food.
  • Have a backup charging location in case there’s a problem with your first choice.
  • Sign up in advance if you know the charger operator (BP Pulse, Weev, ESB, Shell, etc) and put in your credit card details on the app. You don’t want to be doing this in the rain, dark or with a poor mobile connection.
  • Don’t leave charging until the battery is really low and don’t bother waiting for the charge to go above 90%. The rate of charging slows down the closer it gets to 100% on the high power chargers. It’s quicker to stop twice to charge from 25% to 75% than it is to stop once and charge from 1% to 100%.
  • Don’t drive fast. The range on my car reduces significantly once you start driving over 70 mph. Tootling along at 65 mph makes very little difference in the time to get somewhere, but a big difference in how far you can go.

Over time, you’ll probably discover where’s best to stop for you. I like charging in a small town called Manorhamilton in Co Leitrim simply because there are some picnic tables on a small hill above the car park where the charger is. A couple of sandwiches from a nearby shop and you can sit up there in the sunshine and watch the world go by. It’s the best on a sunny day.

Right, plan and go. So what about this “range anxiety”?

Ok, so sometimes things don’t go as planned. Maybe you forgot to charge the previous night, maybe your credit card was declined, maybe the charge point wasn’t working, maybe you’re have to go further than planned, but regardless of why, now you’re not sure that there’s enough juice to get you to the next charging station. That’s when “range anxiety” kicks in. You’re worrying about the car stopping before you get to the charger….

There are some things you can do. Switch to “Eco” mode. Drive softly and keep the speed down. Use the apps to find the nearest chargers and see if they’re available before heading out of your way. Turn off the heating/aircon and the heated seats.

It’s definitely becoming less of an issue as more charge points are installed in more convenient locations – for example, my local forecourt is currently putting in six charging bays – so the days of having to worry about charging are becoming fewer.

That concludes the second post in the series and I hope it helps some of the “EV curious” understand EVs a little bit better. If you’ve any further queries, drop them in as questions below.