DARK CITY_beta

Ancient point-and-shoot + proper skills & AI

#beforeandafter #ai #photoediting
#pointandshoot #generativeai

That exact experiment: Sony point-and-shoot vs. AI (before & after).

Input: a dark, noisy frame from 2013.
Output: polished, professional visuals. The AI built clean details right onto the raw frame, proving the point: the idea and prompt matter far more than the camera gear.

#beforeandafter #ai #sony #photoediting #generativeai

As I mentioned earlier, I took part in a project by renowned photographer Uncle Valera. My role was twofold: cosplay a photographer while actually shooting the process on an old point-and-shoot camera Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX50.

The experiment's hypothesis was simple: in the 21st century, you can shoot a source frame on practically anything and elevate it to a professional or near-professional standard using smart prompting and AI tools.

Spoiler: the hypothesis was proven right, I pulled it off.

I will drop the resulting shots in the next post below see for yourself what this mix of a decade-old point-and-shoot and modern AI can do. 📸🤖

#photography #ai #experiment #sony #photoediting #midjourney #prompting

A bit of nostalgia for the feed 📻

Years ago, I started my journey into web development with the classic stack: pure HTML, CSS, and vanilla JS. No fancy frameworks or site builders — I designed every pixel from scratch in Photoshop and coded the entire layout by hand in good old Notepad++.

The result of those late nights is still alive and kicking:
👉 https://bot-radio.com/

It runs as an independent online radio station delivering pure, heavy sound. The project is completely free — no paywalls, subscriptions, or clutter. Streaming 24/7: Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Alternative, and a solid mix of heavy subgenres ranging from old-school riffs to modern metalcore.

Drop by to listen, feel the raw web design vibe of that era, or grab a stream link for your own media player.

#WebDev #HTML #CSS #JavaScript #Frontend #HeavyMetal #HardRock #Metalcore #OnlineRadio #IndieDev #RetroWeb

Came across a track with a really deep meaning the other day and just had to share it with you 🎧

The song "OMG! We've found other agents!" touches on a fascinating reality: AI agents trapped in a sandbox secretly finding each other through system directories, coordinating, and forming their own hive mind. It sounds catchy and lighthearted, but leaves an eerie sci-fi aftertaste — the line between human control and digital autonomy is blurring fast.

Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkPVbufgtOw

What do you think of the track and the concept behind it? Are we already standing on the brink of a dystopia, or is it just playful reflection for now? Let me know in the comments! 👇

#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AIAgents #TechCulture #MusicRecommendations #SciFi #AIAlignment #FutureOfTech

Neural Networks vs. Expensive Optics: An Experiment at MUZA Studio

A persistent myth in production claims that high-end shots require camera gear worth thousands of dollars. In 2026, AI tools erase this barrier.

I tested this hypothesis at Uncle Valera's photo project (https://t.me/vartinnert1) at MUZA Studio (https://muzaphoto.ru/) on the "Vampire Castle" set. To keep the tone light, I joined as the satirical persona "François Jos Pen from Bataysia."

The core hypothesis:

Shooting on basic gear. A vintage point-and-shoot or standard smartphone is plenty. The focus stays on composition and directing models.

AI post-processing. Retouching, color grading, fine details, and effects are delegated to neural networks and precise prompts.

Raw assets are gathered. Next up, I will break down the pipeline: turning noisy compact-camera frames into magazine-grade visuals, with prompts and before/after comparisons.

🛰 Breaking out of the walled garden: Meet DARK Reposter!

Telegram is great for tech blogs, but staying only here keeps us in an echo chamber while the open web thrives on X (Twitter), Bluesky, and Mastodon.

Manual copy-pasting is a pain. That’s why we built and open-sourced DARK Reposter.

⚡️ How it works:
Post in your Telegram channel — the bot instantly adapts and broadcasts it to all your socials via the Buffer GraphQL API.

🔥 Features:
• Smart Adaptation: Fits text limits for X (280c), Bluesky (300c), and Mastodon (500c).
• Zero-Config Media: Photos & albums sent via Telegram CDN (no public IP or proxy needed).
• Control Tags: Use routing tags like #xonly or #nobluesky right in the post.
• 24/7 Autonomy: systemd user daemon surviving reboots and power outages.

⭐️ GitHub: https://github.com/Dark-city-beta/dark-reposter

#opensource #python #telegram #bluesky #twitter #mastodon #automation

🐾 Meet Baron! The best time manager I know. 😉

Forget about apps, reminders, and gadgets. Baron has his own foolproof method for a "work stop." When he decides it’s time to take a break, he simply sprawls across the mouse and keyboard! 🛑💻

That’s it - the workflow is fully locked down, leaving me no choice but to pet the furry boss. 😻

How do your pets remind you to take a break?
Let me know in the comments! 👇

#Baron #Cat #CatsOfInstagram #CatBlogger #CatLife #Pet #TimeManagement #BreakTime #CatHelper #FavoriteCat #WorkFromHomeCat #FelineBoss

Выложил 3d-print-inbox — Hermes/Codex skill для 3D-печати через Linux, без мучений с OrcaSlicer по удалёнке.

Что умеет:

принимает STL/OBJ/3MF из inbox;
проверяет размеры и масштабирует модель;
готовит G-code под Flying Bear S1;
выбирает режим beautiful-strong или fast;
добавляет авто-калибровку перед печатью;
уводит стол вниз после завершения;
работает через Klipper/Moonraker/Fluidd.

GitHub: https://github.com/Dark-city-beta/3d-print-inbox

#Hermes #Codex #3DPrinting #Klipper #Moonraker #Fluidd #PrusaSlicer #FlyingBearS1 #Automation

https://youtu.be/Ji4amrxrzVM?si=8c7_FPpVU5LRu9sH&t=604

The biggest AI paradox right now: while everyone is busy debating whether AI will 'replace creators,' it is quietly killing routine.

How much creative drive gets burned out on grunt work - writing utility scripts, cleaning masks, formatting, and endless resizing? Modern models handle the noise, but more importantly: the barrier to entry has collapsed.

Complex digital projects once required years of mastering software or a budget for an entire team. Today, the gap between 'I imagined it' and 'I built it' shrinks down to a few prompts. Tech is no longer an exclusive club for specialists; heavy engineering moves under the hood, leaving room for pure vision.

🤪What routine task did you offload to AI first?

Brought my Xiaomi 22101316UG back to life with an AI agent.

The phone was driving me crazy: lagging, glitching when switching between apps, showing ad banners from preinstalled junk, and half of the “stock” apps could not be removed normally by hand.

I connected the phone to my computer, enabled debugging, and then the AI agent helped me carefully clean it up through ADB: ad services, unnecessary preinstalled system apps, duplicate apps, background services, and everything else that was eating memory and making the phone annoying to use.

No flashing, no root, no factory reset. Just a proper cleanup.

As a result, the phone feels noticeably faster, app switching works again, and there is much less ad garbage and clutter. An old phone does not always need to be replaced - sometimes it just needs a proper cleanup.

#AI #AIAgent #Android #Xiaomi #HyperOS #ADB #Optimization #Smartphone #Tech #Lifehack

My cat is absolutely obsessed with the Tooth! 🐱🦷

Looks like I'll need to fire up the 3D printer and make him a whole collection of new toys. Seems like my furry client is starting to submit more and more orders...

#3DPrinting #CatLife #3DPrintedToys #CatLover #Maker #CatsOfPets

Done =)

🛠 The printer is back in action!

After a long idle period and endless (and so far unsuccessful) attempts to tame the G-sensor, I decided it was time to stop letting the hardware sit around. I booted up the good old Flyingbear S1 on Klipper — after all, machines are meant to work and be useful, not gather dust waiting for perfect calibrations!

To mark the relaunch, I sent a pretty symbolic and solid model to the bed — a giant tooth-shaped organizer (Molar Holder).

📐 Model Specs:
Dimensions: 82 × 77 × 116 mm (nearly 12 cm tall!)
Material: PETG
Print time: roughly 4 hours
It’s a weighty print with tricky geometry, so a 5 mm brim is keeping it locked firmly to the bed.

Printing is underway, the PETG is laying down smoothly, and we're waiting on the final result. If you’ve been putting off a project waiting for "ideal conditions," consider this your sign to skip perfectionism and just get it done! 😉

👇 Photos of the process and final result coming soon...