Until recently Google Cloud Platform was the only major cloud provider that offered true ‘Always Free’, true VM hosting. Amazon Web Services does also offer Free “EC2” VM hosting, however that is only valid for one year. Recently however, Oracle has released their own ‘Always Free’ offering that at first glance appears to be much… Continue reading ‘Always Free’ cloud VM hosting comparison – GCP vs Oracle Cloud for hobbyists
Ultra Budget NAS build 2019: 16TB and more speed for 350€
This is an update to last year’s ultra budget NAS build. Since I had mentioned “2018” in the title, I am now obligated to make a “2019” update. So what has changed since then?Firstly, the prices for internal HDDs haven’t fallen. The Intenso drives I used last year are still some of the best in… Continue reading Ultra Budget NAS build 2019: 16TB and more speed for 350€
How to use any SMB share for Time Machine backups
For some stupid reason, Apple only allows Time Machine backups to SMB servers that fulfill certain requirements. Some brand name NAS machines work, others don’t. I want to to use my AVM router for backups, but the application won’t let me. Googling reveals some old solutions involving custom scripts – which should work, but here… Continue reading How to use any SMB share for Time Machine backups
Migrating from Adobe CC to Open Source Software
For several years my photo editing workflow went something like this: Take a picture, RAW+JPEG. Plug SD card into my PC. Import it into Lightroom Classic CC, lossless conversion to DNG. Occasionally LR backs up its catalog. Windows File History backs them up to my NAS. A script backs them up to LTO-4 tapes. I’ll… Continue reading Migrating from Adobe CC to Open Source Software
How to play Homesick in resolutions higher than 1440p
Homesick is a beautiful exploration game. Unfortunately there is no official support for higher then 1440p resolutions such as 4k. Luckily you can edit the config files to set any resolution you want: Go to the Application directory. Default: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Homesick\UDKGame\Config Edit UDKSystemSettings.ini Change the resolution as you please, for example:ResX=3840ResY=2160 Save, launch the… Continue reading How to play Homesick in resolutions higher than 1440p
Auto Danubia Compact 135mm f/2.8 M42 Lens Review
Today I’ll take a look at the cheapest 135mm lens I could find: The Auto Danubia Compact 135mm f/2.8. Let’s see if it is worth considering if you are on a budget. Build The lens is made of all metal and glass, except for the rubber focus ring appears to be disconnected from the body.… Continue reading Auto Danubia Compact 135mm f/2.8 M42 Lens Review
Yet another page redesign
I decided to switch the main WordPress site from the Google Cloud back to (a different) hosting provider. Turns out a tiny Compute Engine costs at least 6 times as much to maintain and is actually way slower than just dedicated hosting despite my best efforts optimize every aspect of the software. For really small… Continue reading Yet another page redesign
Ultra Budget NAS build 2018: 12TB for 300€
With the release of the new Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ and me still looking to build a NAS (Network attached storage or home server), this ultra budget build was something I came up with: Components for the Budget NAS build 2018 1x Raspberry Pi 3 Modell B+ ~35€ 4x Cremax Icy Dock MB559UEA-1SB ~8€ each… Continue reading Ultra Budget NAS build 2018: 12TB for 300€
Huge plot hole in The Last Jedi makes the Death Star obsolete
Last night I finally got to watch the new Star Wars movie, and I must say that it blew me away. Though like all Star Wars movies it had numerous flaws, this is still easily my favorite. It was a feast for my eyes and ears, and although there were pacing issues, the way it… Continue reading Huge plot hole in The Last Jedi makes the Death Star obsolete
New site!
If you are one of the few readers who come visit from time to time, you may have noticed some changes. I decided that it was time for a fresh start and so I completely cleaned out the old blog, updated the backend, added SSL encryption and a new theme. From now on, instead of… Continue reading New site!