Jay Janarthanan
I like to build, tinker, comment and share my work open source. You'll get my views and work on product, consumer rights and musings of New Zealand here. Aviation is my passion, but not a very qualified aviator.
Personal Projects
Auckland Waste add-on
Built a Home Assistant add-on for Auckland to know when to put the bins out.
Google Play Store
An Android dev since 2012, most of my apps have fizzled out, but you'll find the remnants here.
Auckland Property Guide
I wrote a 40+ page book to help you navigate the Auckland property market so you don't make the mistakes I did.
Data-Driven House Hunting
I went overboard with AI and ingested hundreds of data points to target the perfect property.
Using LoRA to Fetch Mail
I don't like opening an empty mailbox, so I built a system using LoRA, ESP32, and Home Assistant that detects mail delivery from 150m away for just $30.
3D Prints
My 3D printing designs and models on Thingiverse free to download and use.
NZ CCTV Map
An interactive map of CCTV cameras in New Zealand, built with Leaflet and OpenStreetMap.
ANZ ERR Calculator
ANZ makes you call them to learn the daily break fee. This calculator helps you estimate it.
Flight Reviews
Air New Zealand NZ7
San Francisco to Auckland
A critical look at Air New Zealand's declining service and economy product on a trans-Pacific flight.
Air New Zealand NZ103
Auckland to Sydney
A disappointing showcase of Air New Zealand's cost-cutting measures, complete with PakNSave smoothies in business class.
Virgin Atlantic VS19
London Heathrow to San Francisco
One of the best economy class experiences I've had in many years. A review of Virgin Atlantic's 11-hour flight to San Francisco.
AirAsia X D7 206
Gold Coast to Auckland
A surprising and fantastic lie-flat experience across the Tasman on a low-cost carrier. Incredible value for money.
Singapore Airlines SQ286
Auckland to Singapore
An honest review of Singapore Airlines' Premium Economy product on their 777-300ER. See why it fell short of expectations.
China Southern CZ335/6
Auckland to Guangzhou
Taking a look at China Southern's long-haul economy product between Auckland and Guangzhou, and navigating their hub.
United Airlines UA917
San Francisco to Auckland
Excellent seat but disappointing service on United's 777 Premium Plus cabin.
Consumer Affairs
Hainan Airlines and the cancellation story
I fought Hainan Airlines to get my money back after they cancelled our flight.
Comparing NZ Credit Card Insurance Policies
A deep dive into the complimentary travel insurance policies across NZ credit cards.
Beating Mitre10 & Bunnings by 15%
I built a Chrome extension and guide to always get the best deal on hardware.
Optimising for the Cheapest Power in NZ
I built a tool to analyze power utility companies and find the cheapest electricity plans.