All Guides

Practical guides across AI, development, tools, privacy, and security.

Privacy & Digital Risk

App Permissions Worth Reviewing Before You Forget About Them

A practical guide to the app permissions that quietly expand data exposure over time.

May 9, 20265 min read
Privacy & Digital Risk

Browser Tracking Settings Worth Changing First

A practical guide to the browser privacy settings that reduce tracking without making the web painful to use.

May 9, 20263 min read
Privacy & Digital Risk

Dark Patterns in Modern Apps: What to Watch For

A practical breakdown of the interface tricks that push users into sharing more data, staying longer, or choosing options they did not intend.

May 9, 20264 min read
Privacy & Digital Risk

Privacy Settings That Matter More Than They Look

A practical walkthrough of small privacy settings that can quietly reduce unnecessary data sharing.

May 9, 20265 min read
Privacy & Digital Risk

What Apps Can Learn From Metadata

A clear explanation of how metadata can reveal patterns even when the content itself looks private.

May 9, 20265 min read
AI & LLMsSetup Guide

Running DeepSeek R1 Locally: The Complete Guide

A step-by-step walkthrough of setting up DeepSeek R1 on your own hardware, including performance benchmarks and optimization tips for different GPU configurations.

Apr 10, 20263 min read
AI & LLMsSetup Guide

Picking the Right Local Model for the Job

A decision framework for choosing between 7B, 13B, 32B, and 70B local models based on task, latency budget, and VRAM. No hype, just tradeoffs.

Apr 8, 20262 min read
DevelopmentStack

Next.js 15 Full-Stack App Architecture That Scales

The architecture patterns I use for production Next.js apps. Folder structure, data layer, auth, and deployment strategies that actually work.

Apr 2, 20264 min read
AI & LLMsSetup Guide

RTX 3090 for Local LLMs in 2026: Is It Still Worth It?

A practical look at the RTX 3090 for running local LLMs today. 24 GB of VRAM at used-market prices, real tokens-per-second numbers, and where it stops being enough.

Apr 2, 20263 min read
BenchmarksTested

RTX 5090 vs 4090: Local LLM Inference Benchmark

Head-to-head benchmark of the RTX 5090 and 4090 for local LLM inference. Tokens per second, VRAM usage, and cost-per-token analysis across multiple models.

Mar 25, 20264 min read
Tools & AutomationAutomation

Automating Repo Chores With GitHub Actions

A practical GitHub Actions setup I reuse across every project: lint-on-PR, preview deploys, dependency updates, and scheduled housekeeping — without the YAML sprawl.

Mar 18, 20262 min read
CybersecurityHome Lab Security

Hardening a Home Lab: The First Six Things

The six changes that move a home lab from exposed to defensible: SSH keys, fail2ban, firewall defaults, unattended upgrades, Tailscale, and backups. Step by step.

Mar 10, 20262 min read
DevelopmentStack

Server Actions vs API Routes: When to Use Which

A practical decision guide for Next.js server actions vs traditional API routes. Form mutations, third-party consumers, auth flows, and what actually matters.

Mar 5, 20262 min read
Tools & AutomationAutomation

Shell Scripting Patterns That Saved My Week

Bash patterns I reach for every week: safe defaults, argument parsing without a framework, structured logging, and dry-run mode. Copy-pasteable and tested.

Feb 28, 20261 min read
CybersecurityHome Lab Security

Reading Dependency Advisories Without Panicking

Most CVE alerts in your dependency tree are not actually exploitable in your app. A calm, repeatable process for triaging npm audit and Dependabot output.

Feb 20, 20262 min read