homelab

If you are considering a managed UniFi ecosystem for your home network, this review details my experience upgrading to the UDM-Pro to consolidate my controller, firewall, and surveillance needs into a single 1U device. I share insights on the seamless setup process, the cost of adding a large drive for video storage, and the trade-offs between the new and legacy administrative interfaces.

If you are interested in keeping track of website updates without relying on third-party services, this post details how I self-hosted ChangeDetection.io on my Synology NAS using Docker. I walk through the simple deployment process via the Container Manager, highlighting how lightweight the solution is while effectively monitoring competitor and tech sites for meaningful content changes.

If you are concerned about Google analyzing your personal photos, this post shares my journey from paying for cloud storage to self-hosting with Synology Photos for greater privacy and control. I detail the straightforward process of enabling the app on my NAS and exporting my archive via Google Takeout, highlighting why I believe managing my own data is worth the effort.

I take a moment to reflect on my life since July 2021, sharing personal highlights like hitting a bench press record, assembling LEGO sets, and enjoying Finland’s summers. By actively directing my own narrative instead of living on auto-pilot, I’ve found great satisfaction in these milestones, from building a new home to exploring national parks with my family.

If you struggle with the limitations of single-account streaming services, I share my practical workaround for enjoying YouTube Music on your Sonos system without needing native integration. By using the Stream What You Hear application, I successfully route browser audio to my stereo setup, solving the conflict of sharing one Spotify account between home and car use while leveraging my existing YouTube Premium subscription.