Category Archives: Gadgets

Mini-ITX home server – part two, software

Posted on 2012/08/07 by andy

In the late stage of hardware planning of new server I assumed software RAID1 support. Since this was my first time to play with disk array I reduced number of variables to minimum and have chosen Ubuntu Linux as server … Continue reading →

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Mini-ITX home server – part one, hardware

Posted on 2012/07/30 by andy

While modified router works well as a mini server with backoffice services, low I/O throughput and computing power is a bottleneck for storing large files and administering wordpress blog. Waiting long seconds for administrative console to response, it was bugging … Continue reading →

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Andida 1800mAh smartphone battery

Posted on 2012/05/28 by andy

Some time ago I was facing spontaneous heavy battery drain, around 5% per hour, so that battery could not last one day doing anything. Far too much because it already could work 3 days on single charge, when idle most … Continue reading →

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LED bulbs suck

Posted on 2012/04/26 by andy

I have a plenty of compact fluorescent light (CFL) at home. While energy saving is quite obvious, the time to warm up is drawback; using CFL in place of frequent toggling is not a good idea. On the other hand … Continue reading →

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Rainbow glowing ping-pong

Posted on 2012/04/10 by andy

While I was finalizing e-snowflake project, I imagined that single RGB 5050 LED would create nice rainbow effect if placed inside a ball like ping-pong. You can find plenty of such projects on the net, this one was heading to … Continue reading →

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Vertex3 SSD pros (and cons too)

Posted on 2011/12/04 by andy

PC architecture recycles nearly every 2-3 years, after that time it is really hard to make any upgrades without replacing most of the hardware. Looking at my desktop computer I realized that I can boost it up only one way, … Continue reading →

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Refreshing Desire

Posted on 2011/11/29 by andy

HTC Desire is a mid-end smartphone with limited memory being already out of radar of HTC updates. Rooted phone can have installed customized firmware that accommodated recent changes. It is a bumpy road if you are into newest Sense (feature … Continue reading →

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Dealing with HTC quirks

Posted on 2011/09/28 by andy

Even though I would not give up on Android powered smartphone, when it comes to details, little irritating things are coming out. Do not get me wrong: overall usability and general consistency is undoubted and makes the user comfortable most … Continue reading →

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Smartphone powered urban skating

Posted on 2011/08/16 by andy

Many times I asked myself this question: how long was my free ride today, how much time it took, was this workout good enough and in effect, if I am absolved from chocolate consumption :] Android OS can leverage from … Continue reading →

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Kindle 3 customized

Posted on 2011/07/22 by andy

I was thinking of Kindle 3 for some time: eBook reader with paper-like light-reflective display available at reasonable price. In Chicago I noticed Kindle 3 version called “Kindle with Special Offers” (KSO) for only $114. It was attractive alternative for … Continue reading →

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