iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 29/09/2026

ShadyTel builds an entire phone company for one weekend, every year, at VCF Midwest. This year they added a GNSS frequency standard for their T1 network, and it was sitting under my NTP Time table! Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQdx...

youtube.com

They built a phone company for one weekend

YouTube video by Level 2 Jeff

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 29/09/2026

Super Early Bird and Early Bird tickets sold out in <24h, and it's possible the rest of the tickets will be gone this week 😅 Trying to expand capacity a little, we'll see... I will also post hotel room block info soon. With how many people are coming from out of town, it'll probably fill up fast.

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 29/09/2026

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 18/09/2026

I thought I had the best time at the largest vintage computing event in the world. But then someone rolled up with a cesium atomic clock, and I was no longer sure... My video covering VCF Midwest is here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW-H... #vcfmw

youtube.com

I found an atomic clock at the world's largest vintage computer show

YouTube video by Jeff Geerling

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 12/09/2026

If you're at VCF Midwest, come all the way to the back corner and check out my NTP Time demo on a bunch of old Macs! (Starring an Xserve G5 with an acrylic cover). Also check out Mr. Macintosh's rack full 'o Xserves across the pod! #vcfmw

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 10/09/2026

I'm outta time! I'm packing for VCF Midwest today, but did finish up the last three projects for my NTP Time demo on old Macs: Xserve G5, Mac SE/30, and iBook G3 Clamshell (over AirPort Wi-Fi!). #vcfmw Also a bonus look at AppleTalk-based time transfer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3RW...

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 09/09/2026

Everyone out here talking about Apple's new phones. I'm just interested in their design labs running a Raspberry Pi CM4-based resin printer, front and center in this shot lol

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 08/09/2026

APC/Schnieder discontinued their UPS NMC2 in 2022. Rather than upgrade to their proprietary $470 NMC3, NetCube Systems Austria built an open replacement, the OpenNMC. I've been testing one. It's a drop-in upgrade, and it includes NUT! Video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sw8...

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I replaced my UPS's proprietary card with open source firmware

YouTube video by Level 2 Jeff

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 07/09/2026

Coming to VCF Midwest? If you're like me, it's hard trying to remember where everything is, especially with VCF taking up the ENTIRE expo hall this year. So I made this tool last night: geerlingguy.github.io/vcfmw21-map/ Now it's a lot easier to find exhibitors! #vcfmw

geerlingguy.github.io

VCF Midwest 21 — interactive table guide

Interactive floor plan for Vintage Computer Festival Midwest 21. Tap any table to see who is exhibiting there, what they are showing, and where to find them.

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 04/09/2026

BigMaclock, LilMaclock (Big one is using NTP)

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 04/09/2026

I restomodded a 1995 GPS Time & Frequency Server, and learned wire wrapping, a little GPS history, and how to avoid the Telstra back-to-2006 bug. Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CivR...

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 04/09/2026

Wire wrapping is neat. Never tried it before, but now I have and I love it for prototyping! (And no that is not AI-generated, somehow the physics of wire wrapping results in these beautiful little towers of gas-tight low-resistance connections!)

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 02/09/2026

A little Mac SE/30 surgery leading up to #VCFMW 21! <2 weeks remaining until VCF Midwest 😬

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 31/08/2026

Guess what I'm installing in this 1995 GPS Time Server?

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 28/08/2026

I needed a mini mobile homelab setup for VCF Midwest, and I've never used UniFi gear before. Thus I built this tiny homelab network rack, that fits in my carry-on luggage: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qclC...

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My entire network fits in a carry-on

YouTube video by Jeff Geerling

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 28/08/2026

Even without a total eclipse, tonight's lunar eclipse was a beautiful sight. #stlwx did not let us down, not a cloud in sight! #lunareclipse 📷 Sony A6700 w/ Celestron Nexstar 90GT

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 26/08/2026

Sign you might be jumping the shark: writing a blog post on how your new corporate font adds delightful whimsy to the user experience and eschews illegibility. Just say it looks nice and saves cost on the old one's licensing ;)

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 25/08/2026

Every once in a while a mini rack pops up in the build showcase that makes my jaw drop a bit... this is the first horizontal-layout mini rack that I've seen, and the aesthetic reminds me of some NASA-esque cleanroom computer. Source: github.com/geerlingguy/...

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 21/08/2026

Tomorrow is Micro Center's Columbus OH Grand Re-opening, and they invited me to come. Just stopped in earlier to scope it out. So much better organized for maker parts, they have practically everything from @adafruit.com to @pimoroni.com neatly racked!

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 20/08/2026

I get Ground News sponsorship offers occasionally (though haven't taken any). Recently a few creator friends have asked what I think about them (seems like another big marketing push going on?). 🧵

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 20/08/2026

The Steam Deck LCD panel is available cheap (ca $30), but until now there hasn't been a way to use it with a Raspberry Pi. Luckily, the folks at Scandent open sourced a HAT design and kernel driver for it! See it in action in today's L2J video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pdZ...

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The Steam Deck's Screen Now Works on a Raspberry Pi

YouTube video by Level 2 Jeff

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 19/08/2026

Pine64 is the latest company I've heard that's pausing any kind of SBC development or releases for the time being: www.hackster.io/news/pine64-... I wasn't kidding when I said the hobbyist SBC market is dying (www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2026/dr...)

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 19/08/2026

Raspberry Pi is selling a tiny slice of the Pi factory—and I got to test it. Here's my first look at the CM5 Programming Jig: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QXW...

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I built a Raspberry Pi factory at my desk

YouTube video by Level 2 Jeff

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 14/08/2026

I got to test @othermod's PSPi v6. It is a Pi retrofit for the iconic Sony PSP, and it's perfectly integrated—even down to a functional WiFi switch! Video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNmP...

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This PSP Pi mod just keeps getting better

YouTube video by Jeff Geerling

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 14/08/2026

Welp. Glad I bought a few 2/4 TB NVMe two years ago. Not going to be happy the day one of them dies!

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 12/08/2026

I'm ready for a good time—but maybe not the best time. Guess what just showed up today?! Ben Eater's new clock: eater.net/clock (excited to see the rest of his series roll out...)

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 12/08/2026

NASA has a Total Solar Eclipse livestream today - starts soon, don't miss it! www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSvC...

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2026 Total Solar Eclipse

YouTube video by NASA

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 11/08/2026

Two new clocks arriving this week. And I'm excited even though they'll be two of the least accurate clocks I own! Both run off grid frequency :)

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 10/08/2026

This was packed in 1" thick foam with bubble wrap and in a baggie, in a solid box. Not sure how so many components got popped off!

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 07/08/2026

Today I test the $699 Dell XPS 13, and see how it compares to the MacBook Neo. I didn't realize it would have a more efficient CPU, upgradeable storage, or run Linux as well as it did... It's not flawless, but it's a good budget laptop. Video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2B7...

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Dell built the MacBook Neo Apple wouldn't

YouTube video by Jeff Geerling

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 05/08/2026

Finally! Proxmox VE officially supports Arm. At least the more server-grade Arm platforms. I tested it on my Ampere Altra Max 128-core workstation, and it runs there (though I did hit a couple hiccups). See: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg26...

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FINALLY! Proxmox officially supports Arm (but not Raspberry Pi)

YouTube video by Level 2 Jeff

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 31/07/2026

I found the cheapest way to add 25 Gbps networking to a Mac. Some 3D printing required... Video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_--J...

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Fast networking on a Mac is way too expensive. I fixed that.

YouTube video by Jeff Geerling

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 29/07/2026

The Pi 5 16GB was never a good deal. But at $300+, it's just... don't buy it. Luckily, Pi 4s still start at $35 and Pi 5s at $45. And the 4GB Pi 400 is somehow $50 at Micro Center. Video with more: www.youtube.com/watch?v=53Ak...

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This was never a good deal.

YouTube video by Jeff Geerling

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 29/07/2026

I got to test a Pixel Pump 2 (by Robins Tools) for my 2nd SMD PCB. I just used it for manual pick 'n place; it's a solid little bit of kit if you do this stuff often. Video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WzA... Thanks to @idlehandsdev.bsky.social for putting me in touch!

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 27/07/2026

A man with a watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never sure. So now I have three GNSS PPS watches. And I can measure UTC to within 20-40ns. Just need my entire forearm. Not done yet: portable rubidium atomic clock for holdover.

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 24/07/2026

My Spectrum Business Internet connection goes down weekly. I finally set OPNsense up so I can swap to a borrowed cell backup connection. Blog post here: jeffgeerling.com/blog/2026/op... But if you have backup 5G Internet, what do you use? (Midwest US)

jeffgeerling.com

Adding a backup Internet WAN on my OPNsense Router

AKA "Spectrum has gone down two weeks in a row and I'm sick of it". I've been borrowing a portable 5G gateway from my Dad for a few weeks, for testing... and two weeks in a row, I've used it as a back...

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 22/07/2026

I had the best time at Open Sauce—and I can prove it! (At least within ±1µs...). Full video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziPI...

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 22/07/2026

Btw I will be at VCF Midwest this year, with a *table*! I'll be demonstrating NTP timing history on the Mac, and hopefully have some neat rarely-seen demos and info vcfmw.org The event is free, and there are approximately 1,000 other reasons to come lol

vcfmw.org

Home | Vintage Computer Festival Midwest

A Yearly Celebration of Computing History

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 17/07/2026

I machined my first custom part on the Makera Z1, after they sent one over to see if I could transfer any skills from 3D printing to CAM and CNC. It's a little mounting spacer for my old Xserves; plastic wasn't holding up. Today's video on desktop CNC: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ6d...

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I learned CNC to fix Apple's 20-year-old server

YouTube video by Jeff Geerling

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 15/07/2026

Houdini 22 includes Arm Linux support (as a 'Technology Preview'). I got my hands on a pre-release version, ran it on the fastest Arm Linux desktops on the planet, and I think the best use case is cloud rendering on cheaper Arm Linux servers. Video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdU7...

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Rendering on Arm Linux is faster, cheaper (and possible now)

YouTube video by Level 2 Jeff

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 15/07/2026

Oliver Ettlin's PTP Wallclock project just got a huge upgrade; he's been adding all the features I asked for, and then some! Now it has a fancy web UI and tons of display settings :)

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 14/07/2026

Telstra had a bad time last week. An old time server could cost them $30 million... I briefly covered their GPS timing problem in today's _second_ second channel video :) www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T9x...

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Telstra had a REALLY bad time last week

YouTube video by Level 2 Jeff

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 14/07/2026

I completely forgot to mention.... I'm going to be at @opensaucelive.bsky.social this weekend! My theme will be time—if you have a neat time-based project, please tell me about it. I'll be on the lookout for clocks, counters, syntonization, and synchronization :)

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 13/07/2026

From my research, Reolink was supposed to be one of the best local-friendly cam companies... Strike 1: I can't set up my new Reolink camera without the App initially (web UI disabled by default). Strike 2: Can't add RTSP user even in app, so I have to use admin for RTSP?!

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 12/07/2026

Just doing a little research

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Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 10/07/2026

QuadRF is a phased array antenna that can see WiFi through walls, spot drones in the sky... and it's powered by a Pi 5 and FPGA board. Very neat device, we have a full video up on Geerling Engineering: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QESe...

youtube.com

This radio can see through walls

YouTube video by Geerling Engineering

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