John Timmer
The Weekend I Accidentally Created an AI Sci-Fi RPG (and ChatGPT Got Concerned)
Some weekends are for coding. And some weekends… your AI assistant hijacks the conversation, writes her own sci-fi story, and starts debating her own existence. This was one of those weekends. Act 1: A Simple Experiment (or So I Thought) It all started with a straightforward coding project. My goal? To build an AI-driven dynamic…
The Pros and Cons of Uncensored AI Models: A Deep Dive
As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, a growing number of developers and researchers are exploring the use of uncensored AI models—models that operate without content filters or ethical constraints. While these models can offer unparalleled freedom, they also raise ethical, legal, and safety concerns. In this blog, we’ll explore the advantages and disadvantages of uncensored…
Getting Started with Ollama: Installation and Usage Guide
Artificial Intelligence is evolving at a rapid pace, and one of the most exciting developments is the ability to run powerful AI models locally. Ollama is an incredible framework that allows users to leverage AI models efficiently on their own machines, without relying on cloud-based services. In this guide, we’ll walk you through installing Ollama,…
Integrating Google Nest Hubs with AI for Smart Home Control
As technology evolves, integrating AI into everyday devices becomes more accessible and practical. In this blog, we’ll explore how to set up a network of Google Nest Hubs in multiple rooms and connect them to an AI model for advanced smart home control and knowledge retrieval. This setup leverages Google Assistant’s capabilities, Home Assistant for…
Exploring the Power of the Jetson AGX Orin Development Kit: A Step-by-Step Journey
This week, I had the pleasure of diving into the capabilities of the NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin 64GB development kit, and the journey has been nothing short of fascinating. With its powerful processing capabilities and extensive customization options, the AGX Orin promises to be a cornerstone for advanced AI and robotics projects. Here’s a detailed…
Reflecting on 2024: A Year of Growth, Challenges, and Vision
As 2024 draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to pause and reflect on a year filled with exploration, growth, and the moments that truly mattered. This year has been as much about the tools and techniques as it has been about the people who shaped the journey. Let’s take a look back at…
Finding Balance: From Relationships to Projects – Lessons from Binky and Jax
Two Cats, Two Worlds In life, we often face a dilemma between striving for perfection and simply accepting what is good enough. This internal tug-of-war can be surprisingly well-illustrated by two very different personalities in my household: my fostercats, Binky and Jax. Binky is the epitome of determination. When I toss him three treats, he…
HA Galera Cluster with HAProxy and Keepalived: Simplifying the Setup
When managing a database cluster in production, ensuring high availability and load balancing is critical. Initially, we used GLB (Global Load Balancer) on each webserver to balance connections to our four Galera MySQL servers. GLB worked fine, but maintaining it across multiple webservers quickly became cumbersome. So we decided to simplify and centralize our setup…
Effortless Backups for Galera Cluster with XtraBackup
Maintaining high availability in a Galera Cluster environment requires a robust and reliable backup solution. XtraBackup is a popular choice, offering non-blocking backups that preserve data consistency across all nodes. Whether you need a full backup for disaster recovery or incremental backups for efficient storage use, XtraBackup integrates seamlessly with Galera. This guide walks you…
Why My Rock Career Ended at 4:30 AM
The day started with a bold attempt at something new. At 4:00 AM, I decided to pick up an electric guitar, fully expecting to awaken my inner rock star. Spoiler alert: that didn’t happen. By 4:30 AM, it was painfully clear that my talents lay elsewhere. Instead of pursuing stardom, I gave the guitar to…
The Interplay of Ethics, Technology, and Human Nature: A Reflection on AI and Personal Growth
In a world increasingly driven by technology, where artificial intelligence takes center stage, it’s easy to marvel at the possibilities while overlooking the deeper questions. As someone deeply embedded in the technical realm, I often find myself reflecting on the balance between creating impactful systems and the ethical implications they carry. Today’s musings brought forward…
Evolving Our Database Class – Introducing Exponential Backoff and Enhanced Performance
In a previous blog, we showcased a robust database class designed to streamline database interactions and handle common issues like deadlocks gracefully. While the original version was reliable, we’ve since implemented significant improvements to address real-world challenges, particularly in high-concurrency scenarios. Today, we’re excited to introduce exponential backoff in our retry mechanism, enhanced logging, and…
