Jay Little https://jaylittle.com Jay Little Sat, 02 Mar 2024 14:30:12 GMT en-us Jay Little https://jaylittle.com https://jaylittle.com/images/system/danboard_tip_toeing.webp Tying Up Tech Loose Ends : 2023 Edition https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2023/12/tying-up-tech-loose-ends-2023-edition Fri, 29 Dec 2023 12:04:41 GMT So as most of you know, I tend to take the last few weeks of every year off. Primarily I use this time to celebrate the year and reflect on its events. I also use this time to tie up any tech loose ends that I have... and boy did I have a few this year. Linux Laptop Letdown: When OEM Largesse Runs Dry https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2023/10/linux-laptop-letdown-when-oem-largesse-runs-dry Tue, 17 Oct 2023 22:49:27 GMT Today's post is about a subject near and dear to my heart: Laptops with Linux preinstalled. Sadly this is not a happy post, but rather one in which I share my recent angst about the state of Linux Laptop hardware and how I have maneuvered myself into a very neglected corner. My First Linux Conference - SouthEast LinuxFest 2023 https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2023/6/my-first-linux-conference-southeast-linuxfest-2023 Wed, 14 Jun 2023 14:05:44 GMT I've been a Linux fan for almost 30 years, yet in all of that time, I never actually attended a Linux event (ignoring a handful of local Linux User Group (LUG) events here and there). That is, until this past weekend when I attended SouthEast LinuxFest (SELF) 2023 in Charlotte, NC. So what took so long? Well frankly, traditionally I have avoided socializing with others. COVID and age have both helped to shift my position on this a bit. Caveat Emptor - Nightdive Studios, System Shock and Crowdfunding Risk https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2023/5/caveat-emptor-nightdive-studios-system-shock-and-crowdfunding-risk Wed, 31 May 2023 15:14:53 GMT Back in 2016, a younger and mildly more optimistic Jay heard about a Kickstarter Campaign for a remake of the classic title, System Shock. Young Jay had fond memories of the original and immediately pledged $30 to help turn the dream into reality. Expected delivery was in December of 2017. Actual delivery for some was yesterday: May 30th, 2023. Hasta La Vista Android https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2022/8/hasta-la-vista-android Thu, 04 Aug 2022 00:48:04 GMT Well two and a half weeks ago I finally put on my big boy pants and took Annette down to the local Apple Store... and bought two iPhones. That decision came about because of years of accumulated frustration with Android, Google and Android OEMs. Pop! Goes the Distro And Fiber Internet For The Win https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2022/4/pop-goes-the-distro-and-fiber-internet-for-the-win Tue, 26 Apr 2022 20:42:26 GMT Some weeks it sure seems like things are always changing, doesn't it? Well these past few weeks have definitely felt that way for me. Just when I think things in my tech landscape are solidifying to the point where I won't have any more material for tech related blog posts here, lo and behold the universe delivers some. Finally... some Peace and Quiet https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2022/3/finally-some-peace-and-quiet Wed, 16 Mar 2022 15:25:10 GMT So ya'll have been following me on my hardware journey for awhile now and you have probably noticed that I keep focusing on different facets of the hardware experience. Well today I have some good news: I have finally found the exact combination of factors that are required to bring me joy on this front and I'm about to reveal the details of that secret sauce. Fun, Franchises and ReMastered Classic Games https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2021/10/fun-franchises-and-remastered-classic-games Wed, 06 Oct 2021 14:35:41 GMT So long time readers will remember that about four years back, I posted a diatribe entitled "Repeat after me: Games are supposed to be fun" that basically railed against the realization that a lot of the new games floating around weren't actually all that fun to play. Well today we are going to revisit that topic, freshly inspired by the time I've been spending with both Diablo 2: Resurrected and Minecraft: Dungeons. The Rise of Ryzen https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2021/7/the-rise-of-ryzen Tue, 20 Jul 2021 12:39:27 GMT So anybody who is even remotely paying attention to processors knows that Intel is in some really deep shit. Back in 2014 they were essentially riding high above all of the competition and nobody could even come close to challenging their vice like grip on the market. My my how times have changed. Goodbye Small Server, Hello 150 Watt Office https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2021/3/goodbye-small-server-hello-150-watt-office Thu, 04 Mar 2021 14:42:36 GMT Anybody who has spent any amount of time reading my content over the past few years knows what my small server project is. For those of you not in the know, it was basically my attempt to stop using an old desktop as my home server and transition all of its duties to SBCs (Single Board Computers) which are smaller, quieter, cooler, less performant and most importantly, use way less power. That project was a success. I eventually ended up with four ODroid XU4Qs handling various tasks. After I finished that project I started to get more ambitious. Could I actually take this project to the next level and curtail the power usage of my home office? To Ping Or Not To Ping, That Is The Question https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2020/8/to-ping-or-not-to-ping-that-is-the-question Wed, 05 Aug 2020 13:18:34 GMT Over the last few months, I have been having trouble with the stability of my home internet connection. This became evident to me while live streaming to Twitch as my stream would begin dropping a lot of frames in a really short amount of time. For a time, recycling the power on the cable modem would make a positive difference, but after a few months that stopped working reliably. This post is about my subsequent experience trying to write a scheduled cron job that would let me know whenever my internet connection was having issues. Paradise Reclaimed: Retro Gaming, FPGAs and the MiSTer https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2019/11/paradise-reclaimed-retro-gaming-fpgas-and-the-mister Sat, 16 Nov 2019 13:49:28 GMT So in light of the exceptionally serious posts that have graced the front page of this site over the last month I have decided to do something a little different today. Consider this my official attempt to remind you all that I am actually capable of doing something other than bitching about the behavior of corporations and people. The topic of conversation today will be the MiSTer and why I'm absolutely enthralled with it. Small Servers, Shitty RAID, Twitch and Caves of Qud https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2018/10/small-servers-shitty-raid-twitch-and-caves-of-qud Sat, 06 Oct 2018 13:30:59 GMT This post is really going to be just a random collection of random updates and thoughts. If you are looking for an overarching theme, I'm sorry to disappoint but there isn't one. Nevertheless, this might be worth reading anyway. Your call. Sadism, Masochism and HD Antennas https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2018/7/sadism-masochism-and-hd-antennas Sun, 15 Jul 2018 11:43:14 GMT Way back when in 2012, I did what is commonly referred to now as "cutting the cord". It was a bold move as all I had was a Roku device, a Tivo DVR and an HD antenna. If it had been solely up to me I probably wouldn't have bothered with the Tivo and the antenna but Annette really wanted some form of live TV, so that was that. Six years down the road, I've finally decided to begin moving away from the Tivo/Antenna combo. My Ode to Rogue-Likes https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2018/5/my-ode-to-roguelikes Wed, 16 May 2018 01:19:26 GMT Everybody knows that I love to play RPGs (Role Playing Games). In fact I love them so much that over the last few years I mostly stopped playing games from every other genre. Despite that, my love for RPGs has begun to wane a bit in recent years. While I do still love getting immersed in wonderfully complex multi-layered lore and tweaking my stats and skills to best maximize my chances for victory, somewhere along the way the thrill of that began to fade. Maybe it's the fact that I've played hundreds or even thousands of these games and after awhile they all start to blur together. Or perhaps it's the fact that the infamous RPG grind really can wear you down if you spend too much time grappling with it. A Man Without a Web Browser https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2018/1/a-man-without-a-web-browser Tue, 02 Jan 2018 02:04:36 GMT So those of you who know me personally know that I recently switched from Chromium to Firefox. I obviously haven't commented on that change here. Why? Well there is actually a really good reason for my silence and I'm going to tell you why. Repeat after me: Games are supposed to be fun https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2017/12/repeat-after-me-games-are-supposed-to-be-fun Tue, 19 Dec 2017 11:50:48 GMT So over the last few weeks I've been dividing my time between Divinity: Original Sin and Horizon Zero Dawn. I stated playing Divinity first so I've plowed much more time into it, lets say 60 hours. Whereas I've put about 25 hours into Horizon. I love Horizon. So why am I telling you this? I have a confession. I hate Divinity. I hate nearly everything about it. I can already hear you asking, "Why do you hate it?" That's the wrong question though. You should be asking me, "Why are you still playing it?" Riding the Nostalgia Wave: How Old is too Old? https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2017/12/riding-the-nostalgia-wave-how-old-is-too-old Tue, 05 Dec 2017 21:12:51 GMT Over my years as a software developer I have on occasion stopped and asked myself, "What exactly is the point?" I realize that on the surface that sounds a bit depressing, but you have to recognize that over the last forty years virtually every type of program you can think of has already been written. Sure there are a handful of exceptions, but generally most of us aren't doing anything particularly new. PEngine.core beta is live! https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2017/10/penginecore-beta-is-live Mon, 02 Oct 2017 03:28:37 GMT Let me start this off by saying: It's been a hell of a journey. The last time I ported this app to a new platform was back in late 2012 when I ported it to ASP.NET MVC. I honestly forgot how much work it was. But it was worth it. So worth it. My Plans for Presentation Engine Version 5 https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2015/12/my-plans-for-presentation-engine-version-5 Sat, 05 Dec 2015 17:42:48 GMT The time for a new version of the Presentation Engine is almost upon us. Only this time, the up front visible changes will be rather minimal. No instead my intention for the V5 release (which is not currently in active development, just in the planning stages) will be directed to a large platform technology shift. Of course anybody familiar with this project already knows that the major releases are all about keeping up with the changes in the web dev ecosystem, but as for the rest of you: Consider yourselves informed.