Small hack I’m using today:

Clipped the first 5 minutes of a YT video and converted it to MP3 using a simple `yt-dlp` batch script — a solid CLI tool for pulling and transforming online media.

Now streaming it via VLC to my Home speaker — a clean way to turn any video into a focused audio snippet.

YT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqrcxUqASQg

The audio being extracted is the Hanuman Chalisa — a short devotional recitation often used for focus, calm, and mental clarity.

Batch script (edit URL and timestamps, then run):

```bat
@echo off
set URL=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqrcxUqASQg
set START=00:00 :: clip start time (mm:ss)
set END=05:18 :: clip end time (mm:ss)

yt-dlp.exe ^
--download-sections "*%START%-%END%" ^ :: only download this segment
--force-keyframes-at-cuts ^ :: improves cut accuracy
-x --audio-format mp3 --audio-quality 0 ^:: extract best-quality MP3
-o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" ^ :: output filename
%URL%

pause
```

If you want to experiment:

* change timestamps to grab different sections
* try other formats (`wav`, `m4a`)
* feed playlists instead of single videos
* pipe output into VLC or automate casting

Another rabbit-hole to dive into, if inclined 🫣
https://cromwell-intl.com/technical/extract-mp3-audio-from-video.html

#HanumanChalisa #MantraChanting #MentalClarity #InnerPeace #Meditation #ytDLP #VLC

Android’s openness is at risk.

A proposed system could require developers to register with Google before users can install apps—undermining sideloading and user control.

🔗 https://keepandroidopen.org/

#Android #OpenSource #Sideloading #DigitalFreedom

Explored an interesting episode of the Puliyabaazi Podcast today:

Are Drones Rewriting the Rules of Warfare?
Featuring Anushka Saxena

🔗 Episode: https://www.puliyabaazi.in/p/are-drones-rewriting-the-rules-of
🎧 Audio: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/192101968/b59546c70ccebb9d58816bcdd1d512e3.mp3

Anushka Saxena brings a sharp, articulate lens to the evolving role of drones in modern warfare—covering strategy, asymmetry, and how relatively low-cost systems are shifting traditional power equations.

Clear articulation of facts and ideas, genuinely thought-provoking.

TIL: A fully loaded Toyota Innova weighs ~2.5 tons.

#Puliyabaazi #Drones #ModernWarfare #MilitaryTechnology #Geopolitics #DefenseAnalysis #EmergingTech #PodcastNotes

I’ve been building a small Mastodon bot — Kaggabot.

Still early, but it’s been a good way to explore how simple bots can work in the fediverse.

https://mastodon.social/@browncoolie

#Mastodon #Fediverse #IndieDev #Bots #BuildInPublic
#kannadapoetry

Been dipping into this channel—Timeless Classic Movies. Awesome collection of older films across genres.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOg0aMAXmF3o5m243PxhE5g

#ClassicMovies #OldHollywood #Cinema #YouTube

Prompts for your two-sentence journal

https://alexanderbjoy.com/two-sentence-journal-prompts/#list-of-prompts