You need these 6 self-hosted tools if you value your privacy
…Related I use local LLMs and self-hosted apps to manage my documents instead of relying on ChatGPT Not every LLM-powered task requires a ChatGPT subscription
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I tested Gemini, Claude, and Lumo for my taxes — and one made a costly mistake
…I did enjoy the benefits of Excel's dark mode, but without a Microsoft 365 subscription I can't use the desktop app — and I don't want to subscribe to an…
I set up a Tailscale exit node at home, and it's more useful than just exposing services
…Using banking apps from public Wi-Fi networks in a different country is a massive pain, as financial services typically label international logins as security threats and refuse to work. With an…
I built an offline research system, and cloud AI doesn't feel necessary anymore
…Cloud AI requires transmitting sensitive data to third-party servers, which raises concerns about things like potential unauthorized access and data residency issues, especially concerning health and financial information. This is why…
The cheapest smart home automation I ever set up cost me less than a dollar
…A hub, a smart speaker, a few bulbs, a sensor or two , maybe a subscription somewhere in the stack, and at that point, it's transformed from a simple upgrade to a…
Self-hosting freed me from the OS lock-in trap (and made my devices clutter-free)
…After all, self-hosted services not only helped me escape from the clutches of enshittified cloud platforms, but they also don’t shove premium subscriptions down my throat. Plus, setting up (and…
I stopped buying smart home gadgets and started building them for a fraction of the price
…Besides, Home Assistant and ESPHome aren’t sunsetting any of their features or suddenly introducing subscriptions. My first ESP32 project with a reed switch worked for several weeks before I repurposed the…
The best new Home Assistant feature in 2026 isn't AI, it's a 433MHz transmitter
…There's also a significant financial and environmental victory as well. To make traditional motorized blinds smart, consumer brands expect you to pull down your functional units and spend $300+ per window…
A $65 handheld emulator beats anything Nintendo currently sells for retro gaming
…Previously, he was Pocket-lint's Editor-in-Chief, the Editor-in-Chief of Canadian tech publication MobileSyrup , and earlier in his career, he worked as the technology editor at the Financial…
My media server started as a convenience project, but it has become one of my favorite things I’ve ever built
…Finally, Paperless-ngx is the sole reason I haven’t gone insane while managing all the tax filings, product invoices, bills, and financial receipts I’ve accumulated over the years. Related I…