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Shajan Jacob

Tech Lead

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Latest posts

I Over-Engineered an LED Strip and Gave It a REST API, Web UI, HomeKit, and MCP

I attached an ESP32 to 90 NeoPixels and gave it far more than it needed - 23 effects with variations, a REST API, a web UI, Apple Home (HomeKit), automations, and an MCP server so AI agents can control the lights too.

Rattleweed Plant - The Butterfly Magnet

A look at the Crotalaria retusa plant - a common weed that happens to be an irresistible magnet for butterflies

Building Clockwall: A Better Way to Visualize Time Zones

A simpler way to visualize time zones, see availability overlap, and scrub time across multiple people and places.

This is how I pray

A personal reflection on faith, prayer, and remembering the people who shaped my life.

Teaching My 10-Year-Old Nephew Basic Electronics Through a Letter

A simple letter and a tiny RGB LED circuit I mailed to my 10-year-old nephew to introduce him to basic electronics and encourage curiosity.

How I learned to drive my car in my 30s

From never wanting to drive to 50,000 kilometers with my car - the story of how I finally learned to drive my car.

Building for Simplicity: The Architecture Behind My Hometown Portal

How I built Piravom Portal - a zero budget static town directory for my hometown.

A simple smart DIY AC controller to cut power bills

A simple ESP32-based controller that turns your AC on/off based on room temperature - saving electricity without apps, cloud, or complexity.

Trekking to Agasthyarkoodam – A random plan that turned into a lifetime experience

A randomly planned trek to Agasthyarkoodam that turned into a challenging and unforgettable journey through forest, wind, and rain.

Sharing the Joy of Christmas Through Postcards

Hand-painted and mailed personalized Christmas postcards, receiving 50+ requests from across India and bringing the joy of handwritten connections to strangers and friends alike.

A bottle full of nature

A personal journey of discovering terrariums — tiny self-sustaining ecosystems in glass bottles

Merry Pixels: Hand crafted programmable christmas star

A hand crafted christmas star thats programmable using javascript by anyone around the world

How I track and predict electricity consumption at home

How I automated electricity tracking and prediction at home using a Deno REST API, Notion, and iPhone shortcuts to monitor daily usage and forecast bills effortlessly.

My journey of using and contributing to google maps

How I started with google maps and reached level 10 as a contributed

Story of a light bulb

I just love seeing them glow

Representing IP addresses using WS2812B

I just wanted the NodeMCU to tell me the IP through some interface without needing a computer.