Complete Archive

Learn how to use custom browser events for lightweight, decoupled communication between distant React components—no state management library required.

Stop spending your weekend in Jira, GitHub, and Slack. Use this prompt to turn your git history and PRs into a polished year-in-review report.

A single prompt that makes Claude think like a security expert, product manager, lawyer, and engineer to find what's missing before you let real users in.

A breakdown of every URL that appears when you run npx supabase status, and what each endpoint is actually for.

I ask AI to write a bunch of tests, then delete most of them. Sounds weird, but it works way better than trying to guide AI from the start.

After sitting covered for a year, it's time to see if this 507ci V8 Cadillac still fires up.

Found this 1981 IBM PC on Craigslist. Let's tear it down and see if it still boots.

A modular 3D printed stand system for organizing and storing multiple laptops during repair. Holds up to 20 laptops side-by-side on shelves.

Testing VGA to HDMI adapters with retro PCs reveals why many don't support 720x400 DOS text mode resolution. Essential knowledge for retro computing.

Repairing a budget 2003 Dell PC with a Celeron CPU that's literally held together with tape. Things get interesting when parts start failing.

Window shopping for 80s and 90s classics that would fit the Radwood scene.

A complete teardown of an HP port replicator showing the internal circuitry, connector pinouts, and mechanical design of a docking station.

Tackling battery replacement, spark plugs, and an exhaust manifold gasket leak on my 1995 Ford RV.

Replacing the missing fender liner on my 2006 Ford Mustang with eBay parts.

A surprising sight at the 2024 Radwood car show in San Francisco - a pristine 1975 Cadillac Eldorado among the 80s and 90s classics.

Pure adrenaline as I take a 700+ horsepower Dodge Challenger Hellcat around the SPEEDVEGAS track and test its drifting capabilities.

I compiled DOSBox Staging from source on a 400MHz Via Eden thin client. It took 4+ hours. Running Doom afterwards was... painful.

A quick trip to the junkyard on Sunday to find headlight wiring connectors for my 2006 Ford Mustang project. Plus a demo of my wire stripper tool.

Diagnosing and replacing fuel injectors on a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee that left me stranded.

A quick guide to accessing the instrument cluster trim for cleaning and maintenance.

Watch as I upgrade a ViewSonic thin client with a new CMOS battery, 512GB SSD, and 2GB DDR2 RAM module, all set to smooth jazz.

Solving terrible WebGL and video performance in Chrome by enabling one experimental flag - from 4 FPS to 60 FPS instantly.

Bought a $35 eBay laptop with broken hinge standoffs. Here's how I used a soldering iron to melt the nuts back into the plastic base and restore it.

Building a ViewSonic VOT120 thin client back together from bare motherboard. Intel Atom CPU, 32GB SSD upgrade, and palm-sized computing from 2009.

Checked Cadillac's website after my rant. They've got CT4, CT5, and CT5-V—all look like BMW clones. Only the electric Lyriq looks like a real Cadillac.

Saw a new Cadillac V that looks exactly like a BMW M3. When did Cadillac abandon its identity to chase the young crowd?

Modern Cadillacs look like BMW clones. When did they abandon their identity? Car manufacturers have forgotten what made them special.

A clever storage solution for tiny thin clients: using a 128GB SD card with an IDE adapter to upgrade from cramped 4GB modules.

Repairing a vintage 1986 Apple CRT monitor that cracked during shipping using hot knife plastic welding techniques.

I plugged a 19V adapter into a 12V thin client. Here's how I diagnosed the failed protection diode, removed it, and got the system working again.

Browsing through red cars on Craigslist and finding some truly wacky builds.

Searching for affordable performance cars and finding a surprising 1977 Fiat Spider gem.

Virtual window shopping for project cars and hidden gems in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Building a high-end Windows XP retro gaming machine using an Acer Veriton with 3.5GHz Core i3 and AMD Radeon graphics.

Part 1: Desoldering a failed 2200µF capacitor from an HP thin client motherboard. Using a desoldering pump, flux, and proper polarity awareness.

Finding the right block size when using dd to image SSDs. Testing 1K, 4K, and 8K block sizes—4K doubled my transfer speed from 3.7MB/s to 7.3MB/s.

Dealer quoted $6,600 for bouncing at slow speeds. The real culprit? A bulging tire that cost $300 to replace. Always check before you pay.

Running Windows 98 SE on exotic hardware: a 1GHz Transmeta Crusoe CPU with ATI RageXL graphics. Benchmarks and Descent gameplay included.

Teaching my son to write BASIC programs on an IBM 5150 using the PC BASIC stored in ROM, just like programmers did in the early 1980s.

I couldn't resist—another rusty but working IBM 5150 PC from 1981 for just $60 on Craigslist. Complete with floppy drive and running BASIC!

How I efficiently set up multiple USB flash drives simultaneously using a powered USB hub and Unix terminal commands.

A behind-the-scenes look at my chaotic workbench filled with retro computers, repair projects, and eBay inventory. Can't keep it clean for more than a few days!

Accidentally discovered the EPSA pre-boot diagnostics on a Dell Wyse thin client. Press F12 during boot to run comprehensive hardware tests.

Upgrading an HP nc6400 business laptop from spinning disk to a 240GB SSD. Simple four-screw job thanks to field-serviceable design.

Paint quotes were $1,400+, so I'm wrapping the peeling hood for $220 instead. Matte black like a '60s Mustang—this is going to look mean.

Turning a cheap Dell Precision T3500 with Xeon CPU into a capable machine for MS Flight Simulator 2020 and Forza Horizon 5 on a budget.

Installing a full-size SSD into a compact Dell Wyse thin client with creative cable routing and a custom approach to maximize storage.

Road trip to the Woodies on the Wharf classic car show in Santa Cruz, California, celebrating vintage surf wagons and wood-bodied pre-1950s cars.

Tearing down an HP t5540 with Via Eden 1GHz CPU. Upgraded to 1GB RAM and 8GB SSD. Features hidden internal USB ports and passive cooling.

Review of a Wyse thin client featuring a 1.4GHz AMD dual-core APU with ATI Radeon HD6250, upgraded to 2GB RAM and 16GB SSD running Windows XP.

Review of a Wyse thin client with AMD Sempron CPU and ATI Radeon X1200 GPU running Windows XP for retro gaming.

A quick guide to locating and accessing the three cooling fans in Dell Optiplex 380, 745, 755, and 780 small-form factor computers.

In-depth teardown of a Dell FX170 thin client with Intel Atom N270 CPU, showing all internal components, chips, and passive cooling design.

Unboxing and planning the restoration of a vintage Packard Bell 386 laptop from 1992 with plans to retrofit a modern VGA display.

Quick tech tip for beginners: replacing the CMOS/BIOS battery on Dell Optiplex computers when you see low voltage warnings.

Computer won't boot after shipping? Reseat the RAM. Simple fix for Dell Optiplex small form factor PCs that show power but no display.

Testing DOSBox performance on a Windows XP thin client with an Intel Atom N270 CPU. Comparing native DOS vs DOSBox for retro gaming.

This $30 thin client with a 533MHz Transmeta CPU runs Windows 98 and DOS games with SoundBlaster emulation. Duke 3D, Quake, and Warcraft 2 run great.

This $30 ThinkPad SL510 runs both Windows 10 and XP with all drivers working. Perfect for retro gaming and modern tasks on one laptop.

Drove my RV 6 hours from San Francisco to Oregon to pick up 20 vintage computers: 286s, 386s, 486s, Pentiums, and Mac Classics. Road trip vlog plus haul reveal.

After 3 months in transit from Bulgaria, this rare OTI 8-bit ISA VGA/EGA card finally arrives for my 8088 PC build project.

Building a completely fanless Windows XP retro gaming system using a Dell FX130 with VIA Eden 1GHz CPU. Testing StarCraft, Counter-Strike, and Quake 3.

Practical tips for putting a ThinkPad SL510 back together after speaker replacement. Always test before you screw it all back down.

Complete build guide using a Jetway N94 motherboard with Intel Atom N270 CPU, 2GB RAM, and 120GB SSD in a RaidMax ITX case for retro gaming.

Testing retro gaming on an Acer Aspire One netbook with Atom CPU and 1GB RAM - Command & Conquer, Doom 2, Quake 2, Unreal, and more.

Testing DOSBox performance on an Intel Atom N270 netbook running Lubuntu. Benchmarks, Doom 2, Duke 3D, Heretic, and more classic DOS games.

Upgrading a budget 8-inch Toshiba Encore 2 tablet from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10, featuring Intel Atom CPU and surprising performance.

Epic Goodwill haul: 50+ DOS, Windows 95/98/XP games at 99 cents each! Doom, Quake, StarCraft, Warcraft 3, Command & Conquer, Star Wars, and more.

Quick fix for Apple Magic Trackpads that refuse to pair via Bluetooth after being connected to another computer.

Father-son teardown and upgrade of a 1985 AST Premium/286 desktop, replacing the CGA card with 16-bit ISA VGA for DOScember.

The tailgate latch broke on my Smart ForTwo cabrio. Here's how I drilled through the panel, released the mechanism, and added a push button fix.

Just bought this $6,600 RV with a Ford 460 V8. It runs great cold but refuses to crank when hot. Time to replace that 14-year-old battery.

Solving the notorious Ford Mustang passenger-side water leak by clearing clogged drain plugs beneath the windshield cowl.

Removing the Mustang's carpet gets tricky around the center console. I made a strategic decision to cut sections rather than remove the entire dash.

Water leaked through the dash into my Mustang's interior. Time to pull the entire carpet out and investigate the damage before it gets worse.