Tech trends: LeftBrain's #coolstuff highlights

#coolstuff

The image shows a neatly arranged network rack featuring Ubiquiti devices, including a Dream Machine SE and a USW Pro-Max switch. The devices have multiple network cables plugged into their ports, with status lights indicating activity on several connections. The setup is clean and professional, likely part of a homelab or office network infrastructure. The environment looks organized, with the cabling well-managed, highlighting attention to detail in the networking setup.

It goes without saying: we love all things tech…

Whether it’s the latest advancements in AI, game-changing tools that streamline our workflows, or techy gadgets that make life a bit more fun, we’re always sharing our finds in the LeftBrain #coolstuff Slack channel. And now, we’re bringing some of our discoveries directly to you on the LeftBrain blog.

Please note: LeftBrain doesn’t necessarily endorse these technologies, we just think they’re cool.

The image shows a hand-drawn network diagram for a home lab setup. It illustrates a network switch with ports numbered 1 to 24, with annotations for each port's function. - Ports 1-4 are labeled for wired devices like a printer, Home Assistant Green, Synology, and Hue. - Ports 5-8 have inline couplers or are empty. - Ports 11-14 are assigned to cameras. - Ports 15-24 are labeled for outlets, keystone jacks, and other uses. On the right side, there is a listing of locations for devices connected to specific ports, including: - DA1-4: Office - DA5: Laundry - DA6: Living Room - DA7: Kitchen - DA8: Kids Room - DA9: Bedroom - DAxxx: Gym (orange cable). Additionally, a section indicates that certain devices (marked in blue) are connected via 2.5G speeds, including DA1, DAU, DA6, DA7, DA8, DA9, and DAxxx. This layout offers a structured overview of how devices are connected across different rooms in the home setup.

Fatih Arslan on building a dream homelab with UniFi

An epic homelab setup where concrete walls and Wi-Fi signals clashed. The author, Fatih Arslan, started with TP-Link gear but later switched to Ubiquiti Unifi devices for better performance and control. Featuring multiple access points, cameras, and creative solutions like custom mounts, it’s a masterclass in optimising home tech. VLANs, dual WANs, and network tweaks makes this a dream setup.

Read the article

The image shows a code prompt followed by a Python script in a coding environment. The prompt describes the specifications for a game built using Pygame: - A strawberry spawns every second and bounces around. If it touches the player, the player dies. - After three seconds, a squirrel spawns. If the player touches the squirrel, they win. - The icons for the strawberry and squirrel are 40x40 pixels. - Retro colors and a dark background are required. - The word "openai" should appear on the screen, along with a timer. - Instructions should be displayed before the game starts. - The game restarts automatically after a win or loss, and the code must be given in a single file. The Python script shown below the prompt starts with imports for the `pygame`, `random`, and `sys` modules, followed by the initialization of Pygame. Constants such as screen dimensions, icon size, and object speeds (koala, strawberry, squirrel) are also declared. The image highlights the initial structure of a game based on these requirements.

Coding video games with OpenAI o1

OpenAI has unveiled its new AI model, OpenAI o1 (previously known as Project Strawberry/Q*), which can now code entire video games from a single prompt. The model excels in reasoning, math, and programming, improving its performance the longer it "thinks." It ranks in the 89th percentile on competitive programming challenges and successfully solved 83% of the problems on a qualifying exam for the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO), making it a breakthrough in AI capabilities.

Watch the video on X

The image is a screenshot of the Zoom Developers API documentation for retrieving a meeting summary. It shows the details for the **GET** request to the Zoom Meeting Master API, specifically the endpoint for fetching a meeting summary: `GET /accounts/{accountId}/meetings/{meetingId}/meeting_summary` Key details: - **Prerequisites**: - The host must have a Pro or higher Zoom plan. - The Meeting Summary with AI Companion feature must be enabled in the host's account. - End-to-end encrypted meetings (E2EE) do not have this feature enabled. - **Scopes**: `meeting_summary:master` - **Granular Scopes**: `meeting:read:summary:master` - **Rate Limit**: Labeled as "LIGHT" - **Path Parameters**: - `meetingId` (string): The universally unique ID (UUID) of the meeting. - `accountId` (string): Unique identifier of the account. This API call allows developers to retrieve summarized details of a specific Zoom meeting if the necessary conditions are met.

Zoom Meeting Master API

The Zoom API now makes it possible for developers to extract detailed meeting summaries, and automate the process of capturing information from team calls. This has already been a game changer for us at LeftBrain. The API records stats like number of attendees, meeting duration, and participant engagement. It can then pull these summaries into various applications, making it easier to integrate Zoom meeting data with project management tools, CRMs, or any other custom systems, providing a streamlined way to process and analyse meeting outcomes.

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The image shows a screen capture from a code editor demonstrating the integration of a tool called "Cursor." A message in the middle of the screen reads "See Cursor in Action," accompanied by a play button and the duration "1 Minute." The code editor interface includes several sections: - A code file (likely in Rust) with highlighted syntax for modifying transport listeners. The task appears to involve updating TLS (Transport Layer Security) settings in a structure called `TransportStackBuilder` and `Listeners`. - On the right side of the screen is a "Chat" section where a user requests, "Can you make it easier to switch certificates in the transport listeners?" The chat section includes follow-up instructions related to the requested change. The image emphasizes the use of the Cursor tool to guide developers through code modifications, making it easier to update certificates in a network or transport-related project.

Cursor: code with AI

Cursor is a product that includes a powerful autocomplete that predicts your next edit. Once enabled, it is always on and will suggest edits to your next code across multiple lines, taking into account your recent edits. The chat lets you talk with an AI that sees your codebase and add particular blocks of code to the context. It also lets you write code using instructions, and update entire classes or functions with a simple prompt.

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The image displays a **Project dashboard** that includes various visual representations of project data: 1. **Today P0 bugs**: A line graph showing the trend of P0 (Priority 0) bugs over time, with two distinct lines tracking bug counts in different categories. 2. **Tasks by person**: A stacked bar chart that breaks down tasks assigned to individual team members. The bars represent different task types, with numbers at the top of each bar showing the total tasks completed by each person (52, 88, 75, 130, 60). 3. **Task categories**: A circular chart (or donut chart) showing the total number of tasks (493) divided into different categories, each represented by a different color slice of the chart. 4. **Tasks completed by week**: A line graph that tracks the total number of tasks completed per week over time, with data points fluctuating between 2000 and 6000 tasks. This dashboard provides an overview of project progress, team workload, and bug tracking for effective project management.

Notion Charts

We’re pretty pumped with the new Notion Charts, that allow you to turn any database into a chart with just one click. You can add a chart to any Notion page or database, by typing /chart and picking your source. They are customisable, and can trigger an action when a task is marked ‘high-priority’.

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LeftBrain: A National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Assured Service Provider

InformationSecurity

LeftBrainNews

We are thrilled to announce that LeftBrain is now a National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Assured Service Provider for the delivery of Cyber Essentials services, also known as the Cyber Advisor scheme.