NTVN on A.J. Elsinga

Protect Your Digital Life: Home Backup Mastery

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In this episode, A.J.and Alex discuss the critical importance of data backup and automation in today’s digital age. They explore various backup solutions, including NAS systems and the ZFS file system, emphasizing the need for secure data management. The hosts share personal experiences with automation tools and gadgets, highlighting the significance of testing backups to ensure data integrity. They also provide practical tips for effective data management and the importance of having multiple backup copies across different media.

The Power of LLMs, Home Automation, Local AI & Real-World

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In this video, we delve into the fascinating world of large language models (LLMs) and their practical applications, especially in home automation and personal productivity. We explore how AI can augment our daily routines by automating tasks like managing air quality, controlling lighting, and even assisting in the development of software. Our discussion highlights the potential of running these models locally to enhance privacy and responsiveness, emphasizing that with the right hardware—such as powerful GPUs or specialized chips—you can operate complex AI systems right within your own home 🌐.

Email Evolution : A Journey Through Tech

Thu, 15 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In this podcast episode, AJ and Alex delve into different aspects of the digital communication world, specifically email and their recent 3D printing projects, custom-designed 3D inserts for slat walls, the TARDIS and more.

🔗 Gear Up with Our Top Tips:

Ice cube machine
Measuring wheel

® Brands or solutions mentioned (not in order)

🤝 Join the Conversation: We’re not just here to talk at you—we want to connect with our community! Have questions or experiences about 3D printing, or home automation? Want to share your own tech journey? Drop a comment below, and let’s start the discussion!

Clean Air and Clever Gadgets: A Breath of Fresh Tech

Thu, 01 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In todays episode, Alex and AJ are discussing presence detection versus motion detection in their home automation setups.

Takeaways:

Importance of Clean Air: AJ and Alex emphasize the importance of clean air inside homes, especially during winter, when indoor air quality can deteriorate due to heating, cooking, and other activities.
Methods for Clean Air:
- Air Monitoring: Using air monitors to keep track of CO2 levels and other pollutants like particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10).
- Air Filters: The benefits of using air filters, such as HEPA filters, to remove particulates and volatile gases from the air.
- 3D Printing Considerations: The importance of using filters and air extraction systems when 3D printing materials like ABS and PETG, which can release harmful fumes.
Workshop Dust Control:

Home Automation: mmWave Revolution, Real-World Challenges

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In todays episode, Alex and AJ are discussing presence detection versus motion detection in their home automation setups.

Takeaways:

mmWave Technology as an alternative to PIR for detecting presence, even if the person is not moving significantly.
mmWave response slower than PIR, but the combination is good
Automations are annoying when it is not working properly
Home automation can be expensive, with numerous small costs accumulating over time

🔗 Gear Up with Our Top Tips:

3D Printing Magnets Tip: When starting 3D printing and incorporating magnets, AJ suggests printing a specific tool that helps in orienting the magnets correctly. This tool ensures the magnets are inserted in your prints with the right orientation, preventing issues with alignment and adhesion. https://makerworld.com/en/models/60890-embedded-magnet-dispenser-tool-for-3d-prints?fprofileId-63102

Benefits of Standing Desks and Workspace Optimization

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In this episode of NTVN, New Tech Vintage Nerds, AJ and Alex discuss standing desks and their uses, preferences, and assembly experiences, while standing.

Takeaways:

Discussing standing desk benefits, such as such as better posture, a more dynamic presentation style in virtual meetings, and improved overall well-being while working from home.
Personal Experiences with standing desks, including the types they use (two-legged vs. four-legged) and the challenges and benefits they encountered.

Automating HomeTech, Launching a YouTube channel: Vikash

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In this episode of NTVN New Tech Vintage Nerds, hosts AJ and Alex invite special guest Vikash to the table. The trio dives into a variety of tech topics, from the challenges of home automation with Sonos speakers to the intricacies of digitizing VHS tapes. They explore the world of 3D printing and the balance between high-end tinkering versus plug-and-play solutions. The conversation shifts to Vikash’s personal journey in tech and his motivations behind creating valuable content on YouTube. If you’re into home automation, DIY tech projects, or considering starting a YouTube channel, this episode is packed with insights and tips that you won’t want to miss.

Adding a weather station to your home automation system

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Join AJ and Alex as they dive into the world of 3D printing, weather stations, and home automation. In this episode, they share their latest adventures with flexible filament, such as TPU, and discuss their use of various 3D prints like brackets for MacBooks and custom solutions for better storage and organization. The conversation transitions to weather stations, focusing on automation benefits, local data integration, and energy efficiency.

Takeaways:

Flexible filaments like TPU are versatile but require longer print times.
Weather stations can significantly augment smart home automation by providing real-time environmental data.
Choosing a weather station with local data support can enhance reliability and control over cloud-dependent alternatives.
Integrate UV sensors in your system for personalized alerts and safer outdoor activities.
Tools like a filament dryer can drastically improve print quality, especially for hydroscopic materials.

🏠 What’s on the Agenda:

Zone Heating - or - comfortable living

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Alex and A.J. talk about heating in their smart homes

🤝 Join the Conversation: We’re not just here to talk at you-we want to engage with our community! Have questions or tips about 3D printing, WiFi, or some other topic? Want to share your own home automation win? Drop a comment below, and let’s start the discussion!

🔔 Stay Updated: Don’t miss out on more tech insights and life-enhancing tools. Hit the subscribe button and ring the bell to get notified about our latest content.

Do you want a tinker printer or a 3D printer? Bambulab P1S

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

FINALLY! A new episode. It took a bit to get this out there. Not because we didn’t record it, but because A.J. found excuse after excuse not to edit and publish it. Lucky for you he finally found the time and finally felt like doing the stuff that needed to be done.

This episode Alex and A.J. talk about their new 3D printer and how it is holding up after a month of running almost constantly. Listen to them talking about the good and the not so good (if any?) of the Bambulab P1S.

Do you need a home lab? Yes you do!

Thu, 23 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Today, we’re diving into home labs: what they are, how to start one, and tips on sizing and power usage. And we briefly touch on the things we printed since the last episode.

🏠 What’s on the Agenda:

00:00 Intro
00:31 What did you print this week?
02:13 Let’s talk home labs / definition
11:19 Power consumption, performance, noise
23:26 Building your home lab today
41:41 Tip:Three-body problem on Netflix

🤝 Join the Conversation: We’re not just here to talk at you—we want to engage with our community! Have questions or tips about 3D printing, WiFi, or some other topic? Want to share your own home automation win? Drop a comment below, and let’s start the discussion!

The battle between ads and ad blockers, which side are…

Thu, 16 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The internet is full of advertisements. Without ads, the internet as we know it would not exist. Or is it?

🏠 What’s on the agenda:

00:00 Introduction
00:32 What have you printed since last time?
09:32 Ads on streaming services, reason for a YouTube subscription?
11:39 Pay the content creators
15:15 Not the only annoyance: personalized ads, dark patterns?
16:32 Source of income, way to pay for content
23:01 Want to get paid for your hobby? Influencing? Tell Sell or sincere?
28:08 Adblockers and blocking ads
33:10 Pay for content
36:03 Do you really want to pay for everything?
41:40 Tip: local notification—NTFY with mailrise
44:55 Tip: Smokeping

🤝 Join the conversation: We don’t just want to talk to you—we want to talk to our community! Do you have questions or tips about 3D printing, WiFi or something else? Do you want to share your own home automation profits? Leave a comment and let’s start the conversation!

What's your Storage solution at home? NASses

Thu, 09 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Alex and AJ discuss different Network Attached Storage (NAS) solutions they had and what is important when selecting components.

🔔 Stay Updated: Don’t miss out on more tech insights and life-enhancing tools. Hit the subscribe button and ring the bell to get notified about our latest content.

Streaming or downloading — which team are you on?

Thu, 02 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Are You Team Streaming Or Team Downloading? Choose Your Side Now!

Is there something like too many streaming providers? Alex and AJ think that that is the case. Does that validate downloading from more or less illegal locations?

Ceph storage for your home? Why? Why wouldn't you?

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Alex tells about his endeavours with Ceph for his homebrew container solution on RK1’s. The outcome may surprise you.

🔗 Gear Up with Our Top Tips:

What's in your workshop? Tools, tech, and more

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

AJ and Alex answer a question of a listener on the different options for stream decks and the advantages of choosing one with buttons over dials.

The main topic of today is our workshop setups and the reasons behind our choice of tool ecosystems. We discuss the convenience of cordless tools and the cost considerations of battery swapping. The episode concludes with a discussion on the various tools found in their workshops, including routers and CNC machines.

What's connected to your computer?

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In this podcast, Alex and A.J. discuss various devices connected to their computers. They talk about automation issues they have faced, including problems with home lighting and screen automation. They then delve into the topic of microphones and audio interfaces, sharing their experiences with different models. Next, they discuss their sound systems and switchers, highlighting the importance of having good audio quality. Finally, they explore the convenience of using stream decks for controlling various functions on their computers. The conversation covers various audio and video equipment used by the hosts. They discuss different versions of soundboards, the price differences, and the limitations of webcams. They also talk about using DSLR cameras, the Logitech Brio webcam, and the Sony ZV-1 camera. Additionally, they mention a car theft incident and share information about the Lexar card reader and docking station. The conversation concludes with a tip about using a reverse proxy for SSL.

Gardening with gadgets - automation in your garden

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Alex takes us through his garden where he did all kinds of automation, from mowing to water.

🏠 What’s on the Agenda:

00:00 Intro
00:28 What did you automate since last time?
05:34 What do you automate in your garden?
10:06 Automating the lawn mower?
13:35 Mowing in the rain
15:30 Irrigation
31:21 Biggest fail
31:29 The biggest gain
35:49 Tip: Rubber tractor wheels?

🔗 Relevant Links: Gardena smart irrigation: https://www.gardena.com/int/products/watering/sprinklersystem/smart-irrigation-control-sensor-set/970658401.html

Social Media: The good, the Bad, the very Ugly

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Is social media bad? AJ and Alex are getting to the bottom of it. Is it social? Bad? Who knows. AJ and Alex discuss social media’s positive and negative aspects.

Talking about it as a marketing tool for a personal brand or avoiding it as much as possible and only using LinkedIn for professional connections and a few Facebook groups for personal interests. They discuss the potential for antisocial behavior on social media platforms due to perceived anonymity and the lack of moderation compared to older internet forums.

pfSense, VLANs, and your home network | NTVN episode 8

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Unlocking Home Network Potential With pfSense Router And VLANs | NTVN Episode 8

Why would you use pfSense for your home network instead of the box your ISP provides you? Well, there are a lot of good reasons. Just listen to Alex what he has to say about it.

🏠 What’s on the Agenda:

00:00 Intro
01:04 What did you automate since last time?
02:23 Button+
04:12 What’s up with pfSense
08:49 Why a separate router instead of your ISP one
11:31 I am not running apps on it?
13:16 Not a standard home network
16:32 Two separate internet connections
19:15 Best practices, VLANs, cameras
22:22 Ready-made and GUI or DUY
26:46 Future things we hope for in pfSense
30:31 Things to improve in the setup itself, CARP?
31:32 Future hardware and power consumption
34:01 If you would start all over again?
36:27 What’s your advice for a starter on pfSense?

🔗 Relevant Links: pfSense: https://www.pfsense.org/

Podcast NTVN episode 7: Generative AI

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I thought it was a fun idea to have the article about the podcast episode I do with Alex on generative AI (genAI) written by genAI itself. In terms of language and wording, it looks nothing like what I would write. The description just ITCHES. So, should you come across such an article (from me), there’s a good chance it’s AI. I myself will continue to mention that.

Here we go:

NTVN - S01E02 - Xibo dashboarding and plan your writing

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 17:00:00 +0100

THe second episode already of NTVN - New Tech, Vintage Nerds. It’s going great!

Watch on YouTube

NTVN - S01E01 - WLED, Gridfinity, Auto volume with HA

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 17:00:00 +0100

Our genuine, very first podcast episode. What will it be about, you might wonder? WLED, automatic volume control in Home Assistant, and Gridfinity. Since it’s our first episode, we need to make some waves in the podcast ocean. If you read the descriptions below, summon your inner ‘Amazing, Mike!’ voice and read it to yourself. You can probably recall this from the eighties.