Tech Innovation Hub

Discover my technology Pursuit and passion

The Spark of Curiosity: A Childhood Fascination with Technology

From a young age, my fascination with technology was sparked by my dad’s encouragement to explore basic science experiments. What started with tasks like building a simple motor using a single AA battery evolved into a deeper interest as I began to assist my dad in building and upgrading his PC back then. These early experiences laid the groundwork for my understanding of technology and ignited a passion that would shape my future pursuits.

Diving Deeper: School Projects and Home Experiments

As I progressed in school, particularly during my late PYP days, I started to delve into more robotic projects. My school’s robotics club during Grade 5 was the perfect outlet for this exciting interest. Here, I learned to build and program robots using Scratch and Mindstorms. These projects weren’t just about assembling parts; they involved problem-solving, coding and repeated testing, all of which taught me valuable lessons in basic engineering and design.

At home, old laptops and a desktop became my playground. These devices, often considered obsolete, were treasures to me. I would install various operating systems, try out different software tools and then proceed to open them up for cleaning or upgrading components. This hands-on approach allowed me to understand the intricacies of computer hardware, from the CPU to the motherboard and beyond. I loved every moment of it, knowing that each experiment brought me closer to mastering the art of technology.

Redesigning and Reengineering: Pushing the Limits

One of my core passions is redesigning and re-engineering existing technologies to unlock their full potential. Growing up, technology felt like second nature to me, something I could explore and experiment without fear. My room often resembled an electronics junkyard / workshop, filled with open hard drives, scattered RAM sticks, SSDs, motherboards and other components. This chaotic environment was my sanctuary, where I could immerse myself in projects and new builds.

I had an old NAS (Network-Attached Storage) device lying around at home. Instead of letting it gather dust, I decided to repurpose it into a personal media streaming portal and a private cloud storage system. This involved setting up a Emby server and configuring the NAS to host my media library, allowing me to stream movies and music to any device in my home network. The project required a solid understanding of networking principles, file systems and server management, all of which I acquired through hands-on experimentation.

Networking, in particular has always intrigued me. The concept of connectivity between devices, how data is transferred across networks and the seven layers of the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model are all something that fascinates me. My room is automated end-to-end with smart controls that I designed and implemented myself, right from controlling the lights, AC and other equipment’s to managing my home network, I’ve integrated various IoT devices to create a seamless and efficient living environment.

Advanced Experiments: ADS-B Antenna, Hacking, and More

My experiments with Raspberry Pi continued as I explored more advanced projects. One such project involved building an ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) antenna in 2022 to track aircraft flying over and around my area. This required a deep dive into radio frequency (RF) technology, as well as an understanding of how aircraft transmit their location data along with various other telemetry data that an aircraft transmits.

I had once hacked into my dad’s car using my Raspberry pi. One of my other exciting projects involved capturing satellite data from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) satellites and decrypting it to produce weather maps. This project combined my fascination with RF communication and data analysis. I used Software-Defined Radio (SDR) to receive the satellite signals and then processed the data using various software tools to generate accurate and detailed weather maps. The project was both challenging and rewarding as it required a blend of hardware tinkering and software configurations.

I also ventured into the world of cryptocurrency mining, experimenting with Bitcoin mining on my desktop. This involved setting up mining software and configuring my graphics card to maximize its hash rate. While I didn’t intent to become a millionaire overnight, the experience taught me a lot about blockchain technology, cryptography and the economics of cryptocurrency mining.

I love collecting Legacy hardware components as my hobby, searching through my dad's old stuffs, I found some very old Intel Pentium 1 processors, VIA C3 Processor, EDO RAM's, some old PCI sound cards, PCI firewire port cards etc.

I love repairing stuffs.. !

I was introduced to Raspberry Pi and Arduino boards very early in life and that was a game-changer in my learning journey. To start with, my dad and I worked on a couple of exciting projects together, programming these small yet powerful devices to perform various tasks. This not only got me interested into understating concepts of programming but was just the beginning of my Technology fascination now that I think back.

Fascination with Technology: A Future in Electronics, Chip Design and RF Technology

My love for technology continues to grow as I explore new and emerging fields. Generative AI is one area that has particularly caught my attention. I’ve tested various open-source AI tools on my virtual machines, using platforms like Cloudflare and CasaOS to make them publicly accessible. These experiments have given me hands-on experience with modern technologies that are shaping the future.

As I look ahead to my college years, I’m particularly interested in pursuing studies in electronics hardware design and chip design and AI. These fields to me represent the cutting edge of technology where innovation and creativity come together to solve complex problems. Whether it’s designing the next generation of microprocessors or developing new ways to integrate AI into everyday devices, I’m excited to be part of a field that has the potential to change the world.

My journey with technology has been one of constant exploration and discovery. From my early days tinkering with Raspberry Pi's to my more recent experiments with Space Communication, Radio Frequency, AI and ethical hacking, I’ve always been driven by a desire to understand how things work and how they can be improved. As I continue to grow and learn, I’m excited to see where this journey will take me next.

My Command centre - Also serves my ScreenX project

My experimentation with technology doesn’t stop at hardware. I’ve also explored the world of virtualization and containerization. I built a converged infrastructure using a stack of Raspberry Pi's, running them for virtual machines and containers. This setup allowed me to experiment with various operating systems and software environments, all while maintaining a low power footprint. I’ve also dabbled in ethical hacking, completing a training program at IIT Jodhpur and an internship with them in 2023. My desktop host's multiple virtual instances of Windows, Linux, including Kali Linux, which I use for penetration testing and security research.

Hackintosh, Virtualization and Ethical Hacking

One of my achievements is building a Hackintosh, a non-Apple computer that runs macOS. Despite owning a couple of MacBook Pros, I was determined to build a Hackintosh out of an old Dell laptop for educational purpose. This project was a significant learning experience as it required a deep understanding of macOS’s kernel and how it interacts with different hardware components. I spent countless hours configuring EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) settings, modifying kext (kernel extension) files and troubleshooting issues to get the Hackintosh running smoothly.

Building a Hackintosh wasn’t just about getting macOS to run on unsupported hardware; it was about understanding the nuances of operating system design and the intricacies of hardware compatibility. I even went a step further and built a Hackintosh on a Lenovo touchscreen laptop, upgrading the hardware with a Broadcom chipset Wi-Fi adapter to achieve full functionality. The project was time-consuming but immensely rewarding as it gave me a deeper appreciation for OS design and hardware integration. I was able to get all of Mackintosh features work on a Lenovo X1 Yoga with touchscreen including the continuity feature apple provides.

Hacking my Dad's car

My messed up work desk

Arduino project along with my Dad

My interest in RF communication led me to experiment with sound waves and other forms of communication technology. I researched various modulation techniques, including AM, FM and digital modulation to understand how information is transmitted over the airwaves. This knowledge proved invaluable when I built my own SDR-based communication system, capable of receiving and decoding signals from a wide range of sources.