bbot automates external recon with modular scanning

4 11 2026
bbot automates external recon with modular scanning

Bbot is a multipurpose Python scanner for subdomain enumeration, web crawling, and asset discovery. It uses a modular architecture where specific presets like subdomain-enum or spider define the active modules and output formats. The tool claims to find 20-50% more subdomains than competitors by combining passive APIs with recursive DNS brute-forcing.

It is worth trying if you need a single binary to replace multiple niche recon tools. The catch is version 3.0 introduced breaking changes to the CLI and Python API, so existing scripts from 2.x will not work without migration.

more: https://github.com/blacklanternsecurity/bbot

my other side: ivo.blogspot.com





System Design Primer organizes scattered interview resources

4 11 2026
System Design Primer organizes scattered interview resources

This GitHub repository aggregates links, diagrams, and Anki flashcards for large-scale system design. It structures common interview questions like designing a URL shortener or social news network with sample solutions. The content is maintained by the open-source community and translated into multiple languages.

It serves as a solid index for beginners who need a structured starting point for interview prep. However, it is a collection of articles rather than a deep technical course, so you must follow external links to gain real depth. It is not a substitute for hands-on experience with distributed systems or cloud platforms.

more: https://github.com/donnemartin/system-design-primer

my other side: ivo.blogspot.com





Palette fine-tunes 20B model for custom slide decks

3 11 2026
Palette fine-tunes 20B model for custom slide decks

IBM Research released Palette, a methodology to fine-tune a 20B open-weight model for generating slide decks. It uses a LoRA adapter to separate editorial planning from geometric coding, allowing parallel slide generation. The system is trained on approximately 10,000 synthetic slides using the IBM Design Language.

This is useful if you need self-hosted, brand-compliant deck generation without sending confidential data to frontier APIs. The catch is the heavy reliance on synthetic data and a specific design language, which limits immediate generalization. You must be comfortable building a verification harness to catch layout errors in the generated code.

more: https://huggingface.co/blog/ibm-research/palette-deck-building

my other side: ivo.blogspot.com





MapLibre GL JS renders vector tiles

3 11 2026
MapLibre GL JS renders vector tiles

This is an open-source fork of mapbox-gl-js released after Mapbox switched to a proprietary license in 2020. It uses GPU-accelerated rendering to display vector tiles on the web. The library is BSD-3 licensed and has evolved significantly beyond its initial goal of being a drop-in replacement for Mapbox 1.x.

It is worth trying if you need a free, community-driven alternative for web mapping. The main catch is that you cannot backport code from the original Mapbox repository due to license incompatibility. It is not suitable for teams relying on Mapbox's specific enterprise support or proprietary data pipelines.

more: https://github.com/maplibre/maplibre-gl-js

my other side: ivo.blogspot.com





Self-hosted face recognition server and SDK

3 11 2026
Self-hosted face recognition server and SDK

InsightFace 2.0 provides a Docker-based server for local face detection and liveness checks that runs on a single Linux CPU or NVIDIA GPU. It supports INT8 quantization for searching over 50 million images on an RTX 5090, acting as a self-hosted alternative to AWS Rekognition. The Python SDK includes a CLI and GUI for private video processing with blur and mosaic tools.

This is useful if you need on-premises identity verification without sending data to third-party APIs. The main catch is that the pre-trained models are licensed for non-commercial research only, requiring separate contact for commercial deployment. It is not a drop-in replacement for general image processing but a specialized tool for biometric data.

more: https://github.com/deepinsight/insightface

my other side: ivo.blogspot.com





ESP32 firmware digitizes analog utility meters

3 11 2026
ESP32 firmware digitizes analog utility meters

This project runs TensorFlow Lite on an ESP32-CAM to read physical water, gas, or electricity meters. It captures images via an integrated camera, processes them locally to extract digit values, and exposes the data via MQTT, REST API, or InfluxDB. The hardware cost is under ten euros, roughly the size of a small matchbox, and it supports OTA updates.

It is a practical solution if you have analog meters and want local data without cloud dependencies. The catch is that it requires specific camera hardware and physical installation close to the meter face. It is not a ready-made consumer plug-and-play device but a firmware project requiring some tinkering to set up.

more: https://github.com/jomjol/AI-on-the-edge-device

my other side: ivo.blogspot.com





Hackingtool bundles 219 security tools into one console

3 11 2026
Hackingtool bundles 219 security tools into one console

This Python wrapper consolidates 219 security utilities across 21 categories into a single interactive interface. An AI layer translates plain English requests into specific tool commands, handling planning and documentation without auto-executing code. It replaces the manual process of hunting down individual repositories for standard reconnaissance and assessment tasks.

It is useful for organizing a fragmented toolset and reducing the cognitive load of command syntax. However, the AI integration is an experimental convenience rather than a replacement for skilled manual testing. Skip it if your workflow relies heavily on advanced scripting or if you do not need a centralized dashboard for authorized testing.

more: https://github.com/Z4nzu/hackingtool

my other side: ivo.blogspot.com





Self-hosted photo and video manager in Docker

3 11 2026
Self-hosted photo and video manager in Docker

Immich is a high-performance, self-hosted alternative to Google Photos that runs via Docker Compose. It handles photo and video uploads, facial recognition clustering, and full-text search based on object metadata. The web interface lets you view EXIF data, manage albums, and share links, while the mobile app supports background backups.

It is a solid choice if you want to keep your media library local and private without relying on cloud subscriptions. The main catch is that you must maintain your own hardware and ensure a robust 3-2-1 backup strategy, as the system does not manage redundancy for you. It is not for users who want zero-maintenance cloud storage with automatic off-site replication.

more: https://github.com/immich-app/immich

my other side: ivo.blogspot.com





StevenBlack hosts: aggregated system blocklists

2 11 2026
StevenBlack hosts: aggregated system blocklists

StevenBlack/hosts is a long-running repository that aggregates multiple reputable blocklists into a single system hosts file. The default unified version maps roughly 78,000 adware and malware domains to local loopback addresses, with alternative variants adding trackers, gambling, or adult content. It acts as a zero-dependency, browser-agnostic filter operating entirely at the OS network layer.

If you prefer system-level blocking over browser extensions or local DNS proxies like Pi-hole, it is worth a look. The catch is maintenance: hosts files require manual or scripted updates, and large files can occasionally cause performance degradation in specific network stacks or local applications. It is not suitable if you need dynamic rule toggling or per-device network visibility.

more: https://github.com/StevenBlack/hosts

my other side: ivo.blogspot.com





ImmortalWrt builds custom router firmware from source

2 11 2026
ImmortalWrt builds custom router firmware from source

ImmortalWrt is an active fork of OpenWrt that packages additional drivers, localization patches, and performance tweaks not accepted upstream. The build system requires an x86 host running Linux or macOS with about 25 gigabytes of disk space and a case-sensitive file system. You can generate preconfigured images via their web selector or compile locally using standard build tools.

It is worth using if your stock router hardware lacks features or you need specific packages missing from official OpenWrt builds. However, the project relies on patches and hacks that may occasionally break during updates or complicate troubleshooting. If you prefer strictly stable, upstream-supported firmware, stick to vanilla OpenWrt.

more: https://github.com/immortalwrt/immortalwrt

my other side: ivo.blogspot.com