Currently Using - March 2023

This page covers what electronic devices, equipment and software I’m running right now.

What’s New?

A minor update - a new motherboard in the Windows machine. Also, I got a PS5, admittedly 2 years afer its launch, but I think it was two years before I got the PS4 too. Also, I moved from SpiderOak to iDrive for backups. I was happy with SpiderOak, but the product has been in maintenance mode for 3 years, and is no longer on the front page of the company’s website, so that’s likely a hint to move on, and so far iDrive has worked well for both Linux and Windows.

Hardware

Windows Desktop PC

My Frankenstein’s monster of a Windows box is mainly for audio and video editing, encoding, gaming and some work, and generally gets updated piecemeal.

Archive Server

Another self built machine mainly harking back to 2013, which sometimes gets new parts, and sometimes gets parts from the Windows box. It’s used for archiving files and media and is running Linux.

Dell XPS 13 (2018)

Formerly a family Windows 11 machine, it’s now up and running Endeavour OS. A model 9360, it’s an Intel Core i5-8250U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, UHD 620 graphics and a 1080p screen. It’s been working really well so far with no real downsides.

Software

Backups are handled with iDrive, using a private key for a little more security, since living in a wooden house in an earthquake zone does make me think about off-site backup quite a lot. For folder sync between machines I use Syncthing, but that’s only on LAN.

Most of the things I do are text based, so I try to keep it simple, using editors like Visual Studio Code but mainly Obsidian for most general stuff, as it helps organise things too. Photo management is mainly via digiKam and sometimes DarkTable.

I keep passwords in a KeePassXC file, and sensitive documents in VeraCrypt files. I also use Bitwarden though.

Video editing

BlackMagic DaVinci Resolve 18.x on Windows is great for video editing, if a little overpowered for me, and I use both YouTube and Vimeo for video availability when I do put something online. I moved to LosslessCut for hacking away unneeded footage from my GoPro excursions.

Hosting

This site, and my email is housed on some space at Pair Networks.

The Audio and the Visual

I have a FujiFilm X-T200 (April 2020) with the 15-45mm kit lens, a 23mm weather sealed primeand a 16-80mm travel zoom.

For an action cam, I have a GoPro 7 Black. I like to use the GoPros on the snowboard, bicycles, motorbikes and at beaches. Even though that one is now 4 years old, I don’t see any real reason to upgrade, and if I did, I’d likely go the 360 camaera route.

In mid-2019 I indulged a long time interest in audio recording, and invested in a Rode NT1 microphone and a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface.

Audio Editing

Since buying a proper microphone and audio interface, I went for Reaper as a cheap but easy to understand DAW. I used to use Audacity, but for the small fee it’s difficult to say how much nicer, fast and easier Reaper is.

Gaming

I do less gaming nowadays; a bit of Counterstrike and Civ VI on the PC, and some console gaming. We currently have a Nintendo Switch and a PS5.

Gadgets

  • Google Pixel 5a smartphone (January 2022).

  • Kindle PaperWhite 2015 (September 2015).

  • Raspberry Pi’s of various generations (1-4) running various OSs.

    • Pi 1B - PiHole
    • Pi 2 - SyncThing
    • Pi 3 - home projects
    • Pi 4 4GB - Dual boot Raspberry Pi OS / LibreELEC.

  • Arduino Uno and other electronics kit (2013 onwards).

  • Zoom H1 audio recorder.

  • Boling BL-P1 LED light panel (April 2020).

  • Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones (February 2020).

  • Flexispot EQ5 Pro standing desk. (December 2021)